What Does SD/SB Mean? A Simple Guide To The Slang Internet Term Everyone's Using
It's complicated.
Getty There are many different types of relationships.
There are open relationships and codependent relationships. There are “convenient” relationships and long-distance relationships. There are friends with benefits (FWB) relationships and there are long-term monogamous relationships.
What does SD/SB mean and what type of relationship is involved in this dynamic?
SD/SB is an acronym that stands for Sugar Daddy (SD) and Sugar Baby (SB), but for many, these relationships are so much more than a title.
There is more to Sugar Daddies and Babies than a name.
In fact, according to Bustle, “sugaring... is a type of relationship/lifestyle in which a Sugar Baby (SB) ‘provides companionship in exchange for being pampered,’ while a Sugar Daddy (SD) ‘pampers Sugar Babies in return for companionship.’”
Of course, pampering and companionship are broad terms, and for good reason.
Pampering “can include [anything from] explicitly negotiated financial compensation — like an allowance, tuition payments, or an investment into a Sugar Baby's business venture — [to] gifts, trips, and other treats,” while companionship can be anything from sex “to casual dating, to a monogamous relationship.”
But while the terms of the relationship can change, the general concept remains the same: SDs and SBs offer each other something in exchange for something else.
That said, the SD/SB relationship is confusing to some.
Many question the ethical implications of such courtships and wonder how Sugar Babies differ from prostitutes (and Daddies from their clients.)
But according to Seeking (formerly known as SeekingArrangement, there is one major distinction.
“Prostitute[s] and client[s] have a transactional relationship," the site states. "They meet, exchange funds, and participate in some sort of physical act and [then] part ways. Typically, this is a one time occurrence. A job. [But] Sugar Babies and Sugar Daddies have ongoing relationships, not transactions. [And] more often than not, a Sugar relationship will resemble that of a girlfriend-boyfriend relationship. There are real connections and real possibilities at romance, something that is not in the realm of possibility with an escort or prostitute.”
Still not sure what that means?
Consider the relationships of infamous playboys Hugh Hefner, John F. Kennedy, and Charlie Sheen.
Of course, this type of relationship is not for everyone — and that's okay.
The beauty of relationships is that they can be varied and unique. But SD/SB relationships are (and can be) just as good, strong, and loving as any relationship.
Because love is love.
Nicole Lane is a wife, mother, writer, and regular contributor for YourTango. She is a staunch defender of women's rights, she believes firmly in equality and parity, and she is an advocate for women's health, mental health, and sexuality.