I was thinking this morning about the word, "friend."

What it's supposed to mean. What it actually means. Because those are two entirely different things. It may as well be two entirely different words.

Or maybe there should even be three words.

The first entry for the word, at dictionary.com, says, "A person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard."

Okay, fair enough. That's pretty much what I usually mean when I use that word.

But why, I wonder, do women so constantly twist that word into something entirely different when referring to a guy?

When they use the word, it doesn't mean any of that crap about feelings of affection or regard.

Nope, when they use that word, it means, "A guy I have casual sex with," about half of the time. The other half of the time, it means, "A guy I will never have sex with because he physically repulses me."

There's something about the tone or the inflection of the word. Its true meaning is always perfectly clear. Never mind that hogwash in the dictionary.

I dunno. Perhaps I'm just being feeling bitter because, far more often than not, I seem to be the latter type of friend.