Denial. My fairy tales (can be true if you just believe)

So... tomorrow is my little brother's first prom :) And when I mistakenly referred to his date as exactly that - a "date." He shot me down, and demoted her title to merely that of "a prom go-with-er."

Rude.

I then asked for a second opinion.. and he laughed and somewhat agreed.

If this is some kind of macho-movement, I might have to incite a counter-revolution. 

What is it with dudes that makes the idea of a "date," or anything remotely romantic or affectionate that makes them uncomfortable? Correction: what is it about calling those things what they are that makes them uncomfortable? 

If my bf were reading this, he would probably tell me that I need to see both sides of the story... that labelling (or not labelling) something does not take from its meaning or value. That "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." And while this may be true, I feel like we should be able to acknowledge the events and people in our lives. Sometimes that acknowledgement means attempting to describe to the world what they mean to us through the only way we (or at least I) know how - through words - not to gain the worlds approval, but instead to self-articulate. 

"No matter what I say its nothing but words. Just trying to prove to you what I know is real. Let me express to you the way that I feel."