After you've passed the half-century mark, talking about your 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' seems to me a little ... something. But so does every other available term. "I'd like you to meet Jane, my dear, dear friend, my lover, my partner-in-life, my companion, my woman, my roommate, my long-term fiance - in short, the ol' ball-and-chain!"

Hmmm - think I'll try that one next time ...