“She was my lover when I was in middle school.” A: Hi, Hee Kyung. Who's that guy you were talking to? B: Him? Oh, that’s Hyun Ook. A: How do you know him? B: He was my lover when | was in middle school. in high school, Don't say... Don’t say lover when you mean boyfriend or girlfriend, In conversation, lover always implies a sexual relationship! oO Do say... Do say boyfriend or girlfriend when talking about a romantic relationship. Only say lover if you really want to tell everyone you are having a sexual relationship with someone! He was my boyfriend when | was in high school. 26Corrected dialogue A: HiHee Kyung. Who's that guy* you were talking to? B: Him? Oh, that’s Hyun Ook. A: How do you know him? B: He was my boyfriend when I was in middle school. ola SAUL OFIEIFE SITE! oy SI=Oe Axel BIS Blilsl UelUled BEE Elo! lovers Apolo BO] IROMAHAE! Aolelolry| Laks | SIC, SSl ABS AVE k= Zo| boyfriend gittriend AHGSI71 MICH= the quys% ZS HHS Ask, IS YASS "bro’, OHSS “gal pals’ 20] HEC QOS UAISOIKS “guy 27 YS + oIxlet ext Olt SOKA “you guys"2k2 UCL SERIeE OF BAPYON AiZIL} LHO|7} ES AIRHSOWAS “You guys” HES ABala| GE 20] Zc. When native speakers talk about their friends of the same sex, they rarely refer to them as boyfriends or girlfriends because those words imply a romantic relationship. A man might refer to “the guys,” as in “I'm going out with the guys this weekend.” Sometimes people will use the term “bro” from “brother” for a close male friend, but this tends to depend on the age group (younger) and social group. A woman might say “my women friends” or “gal pals.” Nowadays, thanks to the movies, a woman might call her female friend “girlfriend” as a term of endearment. Hey, girlfriend! | love your sweater! A woman is more apt to refer to a woman friend as her “best friend” or her “closest friend.” *And one more thing When men and women talk about men, the word “guy” is used much more than “man” or “boy.” It's much more casual and avoids any kind of age reference. The expression “you guys” is used for close friends of both sexes. “What are you guys doing this weekend?” can be asked of men, women, or both. However, do not use “you guys” in formal situations or with people older than you Friends & Lovers » 27© Complete the following with /over(s), boyfriends) or gintriendis). 1. My daughter's works for Samsung. 2. When her brother was 12 years old he had his first 3. We know that Romeo and Juliet were in love, but we don’t know if they were 4, Most women have several before they get married. 5.She was my when I was in middle school. © Reorganize the following words into correct, logical sentences. Begin each sentence with the underlined word. I.last was boyfriend he semester your 2.weekend friend to this is my coming best visit 3. girlfriend I school a didn’t in have high © Translate the following sentences from Korean into English. 1.4 BARS unde] SEA Of. 2. AVE BS) et APU? 3. Uae 227} Avie} HERS) elelolgiehes Ae Awzolct » Answers on page 42 28Why do Americans use nicknames? It would be quite unusual for someone to talk about a lover except, maybe, with a very close friend. There's a lot of sex in American music, cinema, and movies, but as a topic of conversation, people don't talk about it. One would never casually announce that someone has or had a lover, For that reason, to use the term “lover” when talking to a native speaker about a relationship is quite shocking. The American response to someone they don't know well talking about having a lover might be “Too much information." This is a phrase intended to tell the speaker that he or she is sharing things that should be kept private. In America there are many expressions one can use to talk about a boyfriend or girlfriend. Sweet foods and desserts often become romantic nicknames! Expressions such as “Honey,” “Sugar,” “Cupcake” and “Honey Bun" are just a few. “My love,” “Darling,” “Sweetheart” and “Dearest” are common. Many couples make up special names, called “pet names,” for each other ‘Americans tend to be quite fond of nicknames. Many Asians find themselves given nicknames when Americans discover they can't pronounce or remember the foreign names, Should this happen to you, don't take offense. Americans use nicknames to create a closeness and to show affection. They are not intending to be rude or disrespectful. If you really want the native speaker to use your given name, teach him or her how to pronounce it. A true friend will make the effort to master your name! American given names are often shortened. Richard is often Dick, William becomes Bill, Joshua may be Josh, and Jacob might be called Jake. In families where the son has the same name as the father (and sometimes grandfather) he may be called "Chip" or *Junior." Girls’ names are also often changed. Sometimes the end of the name is changed to *y," “i,” or “ie.” Thus a woman called Christy, Christi, or Christie might have the name Christine on her driver's license. A Deb or Debby is probably Deborah, and Jenn or Jennie is undoubtedly Jennifer. If you want to know more about someone's name, just ask! Friends & Lovers» 29