Out here not all that far from Peoria, I'm with you, the word affair used to mean a significant relationship of some duration.

Now I suspect men of certain reputations call their one night stands 'affairs', cause it enhances their self image.

My single friends used to say that to get to 'go out' one was expected to 'put out', so some men are not interested in any kind of 'getting to know you' stage. If it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, its a duck. And if a one night stand looks like one - it is one, no matter what they call it.

That's how I always thought of it as too. Well maybe its a generational thing. Perhaps a one night stand is now a 'shovel ready' affair? LOL

Suppose now they go for quantity rather than quality? It's the trend in everything, don't you see?

All too true, Lilod - but folks gotta remember - with AIDS and other diseases so common - folks who sleep together are sleeping with every person their partner has slept with, diseases and all.

Its like Russian Roulette with sheets.

In my day, no mstter what the language, a "one night stand", did not even have a language, as far as I know. It was done, I'm sure, but not in my circle.

I guess I always thought of an affair as anything outside of the standing monogamous relationship, usually a spouse, but could be someone with whom someone has been a long while. Don't know about generational as I actually used gay in describing a "delightedly happy" instance to my son the other day. It was amongst many adjectives, so I think he got the meaning I was conveying despite my slip up.