My name is not "Friend".  If you're with me at a social function (not that you'd wanna be seen with me) and someone bumps into me asking who this is with me.., I would not say.., "Thats my friend".  Why not? Because then that someone might turn to you and ask, "Glad to meet you friend! What's your last name? or is that your last name? I'm confused. Oh! Silly me! Your first name must be 'my'!  HEY EVERYONE! MEET, MY FRIEND!!"

I get really antsy when people on the web who deem me as a friend simply refer to me as "Friend".  Its a good thing to be someone's friend - BUT THATS NOT MY FREAKING NAME!!! Hello? What is up with that?  I can totally dig it if they toss my name in there somewhere for the sake of validation that I am a friend and not in some Used Car Dealer use of the term when you step on his parking lot... "Hello my friend".  When a Car dealer uses that approach I go on the offensive - and no differently when a would be friend doesn't interweave my name into the context. Anything else becomes a "Con Text"

Its a MAJOR peeve of mine. If I am going to reference you as my friend - I want to throw in your first name or at least your user-name. Hello Bob! How are you doing my friend?" - see? Isn't that much more convincing that "Hello my friend, how are you?" - Save that last one for a stranger or someone you bumped into a few times and aren't really good or close friends.

UNLESS its your enemy - then its ok to say "This is my enemy" without a dignified name.., Or a stranger.., "This is a stranger I am just calling friend because its the nice thing to do". Thats ok too. Now.., Excuse me.., I have a rubber room reserved for me at the, House of Mixed Nuts.