What did this Aussie chick mean by this?

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Aussie

Partner usually means that a person has a de facto relationship ......that is they live together ! Can be a straight relationship or a pair of homosexuals .....

edit...Someone afraid of the truth ! lol

Mel

It could.

Partner, is often used in place of boyfriend, especially by older women. Boyfriend is more of a teen word. Some say partner then fiance, some will also call their fiance 'partner'. Until he's the husband he is her 'partner'

But you can also call a lesbian girlfriend your partner.

And of course the opposite for men.

I wouldn't make any assumptions based on this. How old was she?

Dangerous

Partner means sexual partner and it could be either gender.

Usually it's a codeword for saying she's not interested in anything more than conversation.

rustupd

yep boyfriend or husband is a partner

Aquaadventure

Partner in Aussie can be a boyfriend, a defacto or even a husband...

wilem008

Partner can mean boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, fiance etc.

Just because she referred to her 'partner' doesn't mean she's a lesbian -she could have been referring to a boyfriend or husband.

I often referr to my boyfriend as my partner....boyfriend sound so juvinile but he's not my fiance...yet.

Power Flower

Well, marriage is definitely on the decline in Australia. We use the word partner because it's a bit silly calling the person you live with and maybe have kids with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Partner implies a more solid relationship.

Hannah K

partner = boyfriend etc it doesn't necessarily mean gay in australia

Yes it means boyfriend or girlfriend. It is not gender specific.
It could be a person of the opposite or same sex.

cosmick

Unfortunately it can mean either her female or male partner.

If she was a lesbian she would most certainly refer to her "girlfriend" as her "partner" but it is not uncommon for some heterosexuals to use the word as well. Maybe she was bisexual.

Some hetero people use the word partner for their long term spouse because they are against the institution of marriage and avoid using the word "husband/wife" but whatever the case it's all very confusing.

I have no qualms about asking the person to define whether they mean a male or female partner. It clears any confusion and highlights how nonsensical it is for heteros to use the word as well.

I think you'll find it is not an exclusively Australian thing.

Ozmaniac

'Partner' usually means someone you're living with in a sexual relationship but are not married to. It can also mean a husband or wife and it can mean someone that you're not living with but those meanings are less common. In any case, a 'partner' can be of the same or opposite sex.

It's a great way of saying 'I'm in a relationship' without giving your sexual preference or any other details. Sounds like this one was hetero and interested in playing away.

Tanikaaaa

yeah partner over here can be either male or female.

Although excessive use of partner and if it seems as though she was keeping something from you then maybe she is...

Allaynah K

yeah when u refer to partner it means boyfriend or husband, so she is probably not a lesbian. In Australia gay is a term for a boy liking another boy, so technically she is not 'gay', the girl term for a girl liking another girl is lesbian or dyke.

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