How should you refer to your partner?

[meridannight]

'my guy', 'my lover' ( [MENTION=18508]East[/MENTION], i don't think it's outdated, but i also don't think it should be used too easily/often lest the term loses its meaning); 'my partner' also works for me.

i personally don't like 'boyfriend'. it's what you call him when you're in high school....might not be the case for everyone but when i was growing up everybody referred to the guy they were seeing as 'boyfriend' and most of those ''relationships'' were superficial temporary things not the real thing, and that word cheapens it for me. so, that's one way i do NOT use to refer to my partner.