From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!G:fantods
Newsgroups: net.nlang,net.singles
Title: Re: posslq
Article-I.D.: populi.520
Posted: Fri Mar 11 23:40:59 1983
Received: Sun Mar 13 04:56:18 1983

I think the Census people did intend it to only include those people
"living in sin".  I think the only reason they put it in the form
was to include couples who are married-without-being-married.
A roomate is a roomate is a roomate, the word connotates no
sexual or "whole life" sharing.  A posslq is a whole lot more.
The Census Bureau meant it to be used as a term to refer to
couples living in sin, since that's gotten so popular, and the
posslq solution sounded a little less extreme than "cohabiting,
fornicating, unmarried but committed" or whatever.

There are plenty of words for "roomate".  Keep posslq a loaded term.
We need it.