DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have a minor disagreement about the definition of a bachelor. The dictionary defines a bachelor as "an unmarried man." My husband thinks the definition should include "men who have never been married, widowed or divorced."
I think a bachelor is an unmarried man, regardless of the reason he's currently unmarried. He could be divorced or widowed and be a bachelor, as long as his current status is without a companion. What do you say? -- AN INQUIRING COUPLE IN GEORGIA
DEAR COUPLE: I'm inclined to side with your husband on this one. A man who has been divorced is a divorced man; a man who has lost his wife is a widower; and a man who has never been to the altar by the age of 50 is not only a bachelor -- but a confirmed bachelor.