Onomasiology

‘When a speaker has to name something, s/he first tries to categorise it. If the speaker can classify the referent as member of a familiar concept, s/he will carry out some sort of cognitive-linguistic cost-benefit-analysis: what should I say to get what I want. Based on this analysis, the speaker can then either fall back on an already existing word or decide to coin a new designation. These processes are sometimes more conscious, sometimes less conscious and the coinage of a new designation can be incited by various forces, for instance difficulties in classifying the thing to be named or attributing the right word to the thing to be named, thus confusing designations.’

Paul has been around for almost two weeks now. And Paul has been Paul, full stop.
Then last night we went out for drinks for my flatmate’s Michelle’s birthday. And suddenly it became: “This is my flatmate Anna and her boyfriend Paul”.

How the hell did that happen? What happened to ‘carpe date’em’?
My guess is, it got lost somewhere around ‘why don’t we sleep over at mine tonight, it will be more practical if I’m giving you a ride to work tomorrow’.

Dear God, I have a boyfriend.