There's a time-honored saying that goes something like this: "Friends are friends, pals are pals, and buddies sleep together." I'm not quite sure what it means, but I think this adage is mainly poking fun at those who use euphemisms to describe friendships that are, shall we say, more than platonic. I'm talking about "kissing buddies" (the word kissing is usually replaced by the F word -- for F*cking Buddies -- also known as "friends with benefits).

Increasing trend towards Friends with Benefits relationship amongst Generation X is replacing the traditional boyfriend girlfriend relationship. This replacement provides less commitment, "strings" and ties, although the levels of emotion remain the same.

FF are friends, or maybe only acquaintances, who have a spoken or an unspoken agreement to have sex occasionally, without ever pursuing a romantic relationship. This term is a fairly new one, emerging from popular culture in the past 20 years or so.

As men and women become increasingly free to indulge in physical relationships with relatively fewer consequences (let's give it up for birth control!), sex is now more casual than ever.

As a result, some friends decide to take it to the next level, just for fun, without all the trappings of an actual relationship. Being simply FF is definitely easier at first, but are the negatives that come with it worth the promise of casual sex?