Friends Don't Let Friends Call Friends "Just a Friend"
Charles Miller: "just" is “a dangerous word that should be used as sparingly as possible.” I would tend to agree, except possibily for different reasons than his. "Just" has evil connotations in the non-tech world of dating—full disclosure: I don't know anything about dating—as well. "Just friends" is among the most demoralizing phrases in the English language. When I hear "just friends", I release the safety catch on my Browning, because a) friendships are not something scoffed at (the friends thou hast, etc.) and b) "he's just a friend" reverberates like it reverberated for Bart Simpson when the girl he fancied said about him that "he's just a kid". It's utterly heartbreaking, and the worst part is, most seem to not even know how heartbreaking it can be.
Maybe we need a slogan: Friends don't let friends call friends "just a friend". No, no, too complicated. But you get my drift.
Update, a little later: yeah, there's no irony in denouncing the word "just" when it's in the weblog title or anything.
