'my woman' vs said woman's name: Jarriet reminisced
I concluded that when we were merely acquaintances he preferred to
preserve a field of privacy around her, which he relaxed once we became friends
I don't think it is so much a question of privacy as necessary information. If you use the name, about someone they've never met, they are non the wiser. Once people have made the name/role connection you can use the name instead.
I think 'partner' has become a more common term since 1979. Back then bohemian types who naughtily lived together without marrying used to say 'my lady' (shudder) or 'my old lady' (paradoxically much less shuddersome). I don't think either of those would be terms used by Gan, so 'my woman' will have to do.
Suppose he'd said 'the trooper had killed Bobby' - who would have known what he meant? It could have been his budgie :-)
Alison
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