otto (02/19/83)
Some years ago there was an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer discussing the problem of finding a general word to mean "the person I am living with," but one that didn't already suffer from negative connotations. The author concluded that what was needed was a new word. I don't recall if he mentioned "posslq," but if so, he rejected it for some reason. The word he proposed was "menagist" (meh-nah-'zhist), from the french word "menage" meaning household. Thus a menagist is "someone who shares my household." It may superficially say the same thing as "shackee," but it is free of that word's connotations. Not only is it a new word, but is it one most people are somewhat familiar with from the phrase "menage-a-trois." This word is even more general than posslq, because it is not restricted to hetero-sexual relationships. The author concluded by saying that he thought this was a good new word, but he wondered whether anyone would use it. Any comments? George Otto Bell Labs, Indian Hill ----------------------
mat (02/20/83)
The word ``posslq'' is simultaneously cute and official--sunding (Census buraeu acronym ...) I think it will probably stay with us. Also, it's American. Enough of this French garbage! are they the only ones who know something about amorous relationships? Granted, they've been working on it for a long time ... -hou5e!mat Mark Terribile
dmmartindale (02/26/83)
The word ``posslq'' is simultaneously cute and official--sunding (Census buraeu acronym ...) I think it will probably stay with us. Also, it's American. Enough of this French garbage! are they the only ones who know something about amorous relationships? Granted, they've been working on it for a long time ... -hou5e!mat Mark Terribile Hmm. Is the practice of creating a new word from an acronym (rather than modifying an existing word) part of the "American Way"? Or is it simply that anything done in America is automatically better? An amused Canadian, Dave Martindale
furuta (02/27/83)
Saturday's Seattle Times carried an article written by Josephine Novak of the Baltimore Evening Sun titled "Unwed friends invent glossary for new age." In this article, Novak reports on a proposal by Psychologist S. Richard Sauber and attorney Carol Weinstein to define terms which handle relationships between unmarried couples. They come up with a remarkably uneuphonious collection of terms. To quote from the newspaper article: Here is a part list of basic terminology that Weinstein and Sauber feel may be applied in making reference to unmarried persons in "union libre": Lockage--A committed relationship between a man and a woman in which the government is not a party, as it is in marriage. The couple live together and remain together in an exclusive relationship as is characteristic of a permanent "lock." A "lock" is a man or woman involved in a lockage. Children resulting from the unit are their "lockets." Linking--Frequent and regular contact in which there in a commitment to be with one another primarily, or as the "main person." The "links" do not live together, but sometimes stay at each other's places of residence. Linkett is used to describe a child when there is one natural parent and the other member of the linkage is not the biological parent; i.e., the child of the natural parent and the linkett of the "link." Children refer to the man or woman who is not their natural parent in the linking or locking arrangement as Rex (man) or Regi (woman).
csc (02/28/83)
How about "spouse type object"? -jan
mark (03/08/83)
#R:iheds:-21000:zinfandel:9300011:000:153
zinfandel!mark Mar 3 17:31:00 1983
I used to work at a place where "virtual spouse" and similar titles
("logical spouse", etc) were popular.
Mark Wittenberg
...!decvax!sytek!zehntel!mark