Boy (relationship partner)

In the mid-1990's, the boy in a friendship between a boy and a boylover was often referred to in conversation as a boy. This term was used in such manner as "I am visiting my boy on Saturday."

This usage could be mistaken as referring to a son, and by the late 1990's many began to feel the term also implied ownership or possession of the boy in question. Due to these problems, the developing synonym young friend (YF) saw increasing adoption and the former usage of "boy" largely disappeared by the early 2000s.

It should, however, be noted that in present usage, phrases such as "my boy" have not lost all currency but rather have changed in meaning. The existence of the term YF has allowed such phrases to have a connotation that emphasizes closeness rather than simply expressing that a boy is one's friend.

Echoes of the former usage remain, perhaps, in the term loved boy.

See also

• Loved boy
• Adult friend
• Young friend