CONSTANT COMPANION

[sagehen]

>>From Ron Butters:
>In a message dated 4/9/05 8:26:27 AM, wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM writes:
>
>>>I remember "constant companion" from the early '60s
>>>or possibly before. But I didn't figure out what it
>>>meant till I was a lot older.
>
>In response to someone else's:
>
>>
>> Does anyone remember when "constant companion" was the polite locution
>> for the man or the woman with whom a person of note enjoyed a close
>> personal, i.e. sexual, relationship?
>>
>
>Are you confusing CONSTANT COMPANION with LONG-TERM COMPANION or SPECIAL
>FRIEND? I have no clear-cut memory of CONSTANT COMPANION ever being a
>euphemism
>for 'domestic partner' or 'lover'. As I recall, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis
>Junior were the "constant companions" of Frank Sinatra, but I seriously
>doubt that
>there was a sexual relation between/among them. Nor were Little Lulu and
>Tubby lovers (unless there was an underground version that I don't know
>about).
>
>Judging from the first 10 of the 184,000 Google hits for CONSTANT COMPANION,
>the phrase today does not signify 'lover', but I don't have time to look into
>this further right now; it would be especially illuminating to do a
>NewspaperArchive.com search. I certainly do not doubt that my memory may
>be faulty
>here--I'd just like to see some hard data.
>
>But who knows? I'd
~~~~~~~~~
Wasn't there a tea brand of that name?  It brings to mind a nasty
cinnamon/clove- flavored tea that had a heyday among the genteel 40 or 50
years ago. Horrible stuff.
AM