STEP-HUSBAND OR -WIFE

A virtual definition imposed on people who're seen together so often that people assume they're in a relationship together. Esp. for roommates of the opposite sex. Origin: The term is spawned by the broken family phenomenon in which one cannot be truly sure if a child-parent pair are in fact biologically related. Therefore the term step- is imposed as a prefix to the assumed relationship. Example: Either my step-husband or I will be home all day to let the cable guy in. [They never give you a narrow enough window to let you do anything else the whole day. Arrogant bastards!]