Has the term "friends with benefits" (fwb) gone out of usage? Can fwb be called a relationship?

  I don't know if I'm "hip" enough to any of the "cool" terms being used these days, but I believe FWB may have gone the way of the dinosaurs by now. It's been at least ten years since it was first used, right?  Many fad terms like that dissipate after a run of a few years, so by their ten-year mark, they're ancient. 

  Regardless of whether or not it's still called that, I think it counts as a type of relationship.

'friends with benefits' are boys wishful thinking.
'prince on a white horse' is girls wishful thinking.
Both imply a lot more than they say.

Benefits:
1. Fat wallet and bank account.
2. Steady job.
3. Good health insurance.

Works every time.

It's still in use and is the anti-relationship. People who genuinely want that situation don't generally want to be actual friends, either. They want a regular sex partner without all the trappings of a relationship. Even being friends- going places and doing non-sexual things with someone, usually results in feelings and obligations. So, it's more about having regular "benefits" without anything else. If you actually are "friends," and look after each other like friends should do, then it is a relationship, no matter what label you put on it.

Don't know.  I've never used it and never heard it until perhaps 20 years ago or even more recently.  In my day we just called it having sex with a friend.  Yes it is a relationship of sorts but the way young people seem to use it is as a kind of trial relationship.  Like they are hesitant about getting involved as deeply as boyfriend and girlfriend and are more testing the waters.  That is my observation. They used to talk about that a lot on answerbag a few years ago. 

It's a relationship whether you want to call it one or not.  For sure.

One like no other.  Unless you have lots of friends during your life that you slept with.  (not you)

I slept with friends when I was young, but it never became a regular thing. 

Too weird.  Not my bag.  But I think it can work.  I just never seemed to fit in with that kind of life choice.   I like to have a soul/sole relationship. 


This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at February 19, 2018 6:21 AM MST

People said "friends with benefits" when I was in college from 2010-2014, so I don't think it's entirely fallen out of usage. None of the FWB "relationships" I knew of lasted very long, though. Someone always wants more.