Do you have a pet name for your partner? Do you ever use “baby talk” when you’re alone together? Has a “couple-speak” language developed over time?
Chances are good your relationship is strong if you answered yes to at least a couple of these questions. As couples get closer and their relationships build, the use of personal idioms and inside jokes increases. In fact, research shows that personal idiom usage is a sign of relationship solidarity.
Some couples have trigger words that convey a deeper meaning than appears on the surface. You may use these when trying to gracefully bow out of a party that’s gone on too long, for instance.
Or perhaps you and your partner have developed a rich vocabulary of gestures and facial expressions and don’t even need words at times. A roll of the eyes, a passing smirk, a forced yawn, or perhaps a certain gaze may be all you need to let your partner know what’s going through your mind.
On the opposite end of the relationship barometer, a fall in couple-speak frequency tends to reflect deteriorating conditions and disengagement. Baby talk, pet names, trigger words, and private jokes are signs that all’s well on the home front.
So, once your partner has seen you wrapped up tight in your Green Bay Packers Snuggie, there’s nothing you can do but smile and blush when she begins calling you her “Big Green Snuggie Wuggie.” Remember, that’s a good sign.
I’m Suzanne Degges-White, and that’s my perspective.
