Dear Queenie,
My husband and I broke up some time ago and don’t live together anymore, but for financial reasons we are not getting a divorce. So how do I refer to myself when the question comes up in conversation? I’m not a divorcee and I’m not single, but “married” doesn’t seem quite right either.
Queenie, what would be the correct term?—Puzzled
Dear Puzzled,
Just say you are “separated” or “permanently separated” from your husband. You do not have to go into detail about why you and your husband are not divorced or in the process of getting divorced, if you do not want to.
