# Mistress or what?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 6, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991 "2003-06-06T03:12:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![the\_duke\_69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@the\_duke\_69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_duke_69)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/1 "2003-06-06T03:12:46Z")

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Ok so if a guy is cheating on his wife, the lady he is seeing is called a mistress. So what is it called if a Gal was cheating on her husband, what is the man called that she is seeing?

Thanks a-bunch.

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### Author: ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/2 "2003-06-06T03:34:29Z")

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Lover. Current dalliance. Boy-toy. Guy-on-the-side. Paramour.

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### Author: ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/3 "2003-06-06T04:14:04Z")

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[Manwhore](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0205000)

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### Author: ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/4 "2003-06-06T04:24:15Z")

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The mattress.

😃

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### Author: ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/5 "2003-06-06T04:25:18Z")

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Seriously, i think just “lover.” If the guy is considerably older, the term “sugar-daddy” might come into play.

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### Author: ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/6 "2003-06-06T04:42:47Z")

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I think of “sugar daddy” as more of a wealth term than an age term.

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### Author: ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/7 "2003-06-06T04:53:06Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \*  
> \*\*I think of “sugar daddy” as more of a wealth term than an age term. \*\*

Actually, i tend to think of it in terms of both wealth _and_ age, but your point is taken.

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### Author: ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mistress-or-what/179991/8 "2003-06-06T05:31:44Z")

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i have researced this question for 20 years and have never gotten an answer.

gigolo doesn’t do it even thought that is what i wound up using on my web site.

having spent several years waiting on her to get divorced my best answer would be, “dumbass.”