Straights calling their significant other, "My partner"

Never had a problem with either term, for either straights or gays.

Lover is the outdated self-segregating term.

Well, "partner" in the context of straight relationships is a laughable misnomer, since most straight relationships are nothing like a partnership.

Also strikes my ear as totally pretentious. Usually deployed by upper-middle class frauen trying to convince themselves that their blow-job skills will keep their man at home.

Its Lo-vah!

I have an older friend, a liberal woman who's already been married three times, who calls her S.O. her "partner," and has corrected me when I called him her "husband."

She told me, "After three, I don't want any more husbands."

So... what would be a better term for the significant other?

Better half

I don't like it for straight or gays. Seems to impersonal to me.

How is better half better?

B̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ Other half

Fify

Eh, I could give a shit.

One can smell R2's self-abused cunt from here.

I'm still lobbying for fuck puppet to catch on

[quote] So... what would be a better term for the significant other?

For straights... concubine!

I introduce him as "my friend of the evening, but I didn't catch his name. No English. Bye, then. Good to see you."

So for the lack of a better term, "partner" it is then.

Partner is better.

Lover describes a mere fuckbuddy. Insignificant and replaceable.

It's only liberals who are doing that, in order to be "inclusive" to the trans/nonbinaries, but they'll drop it soon enough.

I prefer the term gentleman caller

It's the phrase "significant other" that's laughable to non-American ears. It never even caught on in Britain, which is usually not averse to adopting U.S. language trends. Even the corny, staid "better half" and "other half" are preferable. "Partner" is useful across Europe, as so many straight couples in long-term relationships are not married (and have no intention of marrying). An older Austrian friend of mine refers to his partner as his "girlfriend," despite both being in their mid-fifties.

My brother says "partner" to refer to his wife and I don't care. He's only 38 and they're a pretty modern couple.

You're right about the partner thing being used across Europe, r20. My Irish aunt refers to my boyfriend as my partner. I did correct her a little too quickly the first time she said it.

It's because once you are over 40 saying "boyfriend" sounds silly

My oldest sister has been married and divorced twice. She uses the term partner and now even though it's a long term relationship, they never of they want to get married again. In that context it kind of makes sense.

It confuses me when straight say " my partner" because i typically do a double take and think " oh but I thought you were straight" . When i hear my partner I automatically think gay

Partner is confusing in general when two males say this in the business world and not quite sure if they mean business partner or sex partner.

It's just dull corporate marketing speak that has trickled into public conversation. Blech.

I don’t mind “lover” when it is pronounced properly: lovah.

R20, no one cares about Britain

OP has never had a real problem in his lige.

Definitely an American oddity. It's long been the norm to refer to Europeans as "partners," regardless of their marital status or gender (or sexual orientation). Honestly, it's way better than "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" for anyone over the age of 30, and it's nondiscriminatory towards people who choose to avoid heteronormativity. "Significant other" is a mouthful, and "SO" isn't universally recognized as an abbreviation. "Lover" is just cringe.

And no, it's not "confusing" to have separate romantic and business partners.

"that thing I sometimes fuck"

I call the boys my meat pets.

To avoid any confusion, I'm always sure to specify "my BUSINESS partner, Benji."

No one has ever questioned that.

I don’t mind if they use the term as long as they don’t then act surprised or offended when I assume that partner is same sex. I’ve had that happen.

I hate it too

I never use that term to describe my husband.

[quote] I don't like it.

No one cares.

How about manfriend and ladyfriend?

I just call them my personal assistant.

OP = performative outrage.