BFFs?

I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about the whole concept of BFFs.

If you are not familiar with the term, it starts for "Best friends forever". It is a term which i hear quite alot, due to my facebook friendship with numerous teens.

Don't get me started on people who use the term "BFFs forever", just like PIN number and ATM machine.

But my big issues are first the use of the world best, and second the use of the world forever.

Firstly- when I was in primary school I learnt you would rate things like this: good, better, best. And Best was the absolute cream of the crop. You couldn't have two bests (although you could have a collective group that was the best I suppose, but that's another story).

Hence the use of the Kath and Kim phrase "Second-best friend". I realise sometimes people don't like making distinctions and can't choose between friends who is "the best". Then I argue it makes sense to use a different term.

But BFFs? Well, most people have several BFFs, or they regularly change BFFs depending on their mood. I don't think that should be possible.

And the second F? When I was in my teens I may have had people I could call my "best friend" but I had no illusions that they would be my best friend forever? I mean, you can't tell the future! I was hoping at that time to get married, and I presumed that whoever I married would become my best friend. So any "Best friends" I had were highly likely to be temporary.

So, my new suggestion is "CFF?"

Close friends forever?

You are committing to prioritise that relationship long term. The question mark is that you don't know what will happen in the future, but you will work hard to stay close through lives changes. Because its more realistic, I actually think its more powerful. BFF is just a throw away term. "CFF?" is a commitment!

Do you think it will take off?
love B