Lady friend

A lady friend is a companion of the female gender who is less than a girlfriend but potentially more than a friend. That is to say, the relationship is not necessarily platonic, nor on the other hand, is it necessarily an exclusive, serious, committed or long-term relationship. Yet, the term also avoids the overt sexual implications that come with referring a woman as someone's "mistress" or "lover." In that sense, it can often be a euphemism. Yet, this is not always the case; it is also sometimes employed when someone simply does not know the exact status of a woman that a man has been associating with. For instance, tabloid headlines often note that a celebrity has been seen with a new "lady friend."

To say "Bob is out with his lady friend," for instance, serves several purposes. First, it notes the gender of the companion, making it clear that he is not out with "the guys." Second, it notes that the association with the companion may well be romantic in nature. Third, it avoids implying that the relationship already has the attributes of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

An example of this phenomenon occurs in the film 9½ Weeks, when John Grey goes to purchase a bed and asks if it would be okay for his "lady friend" to lay down on it. It might have seemed presumptuous for him to call her his girlfriend, yet it would have seemed strange to ask if his "friend" could try out the bed. The term also appears in The Big Lebowski, in which "the dude" objects to Da Fino approaching his "lady friend" and then also objects to her being referred to as his "special lady."

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu