- The Washington Times - Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Emma Watson, best known for her long-running Hollywood “Harry Potter” gig as Hermione Granger, is 29 and single.

Err, make that “self-partnered.”

Apparently, the word “single” is too negative.

“I never believed the whole ’I’m happy single’ spiel,” Watson said, to British Vogue. “I was like, ’This is totally spiel.’ It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single]. I call it being self-partnered.”

Great.

But that’s, well, not to be too harsh or anything — but that’s just stupid.

And stupid has plenty of company, it seems.

“The term ’self-partnered’ appears to have surfaced from Australian ’healer’ Melanie Tonia Evans, who blogged about the concept in 2015: ’That’s the level of inner work you must get to, to be [sure] … that no matter what, you are self-partnered and … prepared to be true to you,” The New York Post wrote.

How glorious.

But according to Dictionary.com, the word “single” means “only one in number; one only; unique; sole.” Unique is bad? 

Memo to word police: Please stop.

Singling out “single” for censorship is madness. It’s not exactly a word that needs a shiny new coat.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.

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