Esposito and her spousal equivalent Mickey Kenneway and her grandchildren Alycia Noeth and Christopher, Matthew, Nicholas and Alexander Esposito.

Respondents were asked to describe their most recent sexual partner, using one of the following categories: stranger; casual acquaintance; close but not exclusive partner; exclusive dating partner; fiance(e), spouse or spousal equivalent; or other.

Of course, a successful golfing vacation requires keeping the spousal equivalent happy while one is enjoying the links.

# Domestic engineer - Housewife # Refuse disposal technician - Dustman # Letter carrier - Postman # Paper delivery person - Paperboy # An alcoholic drinks dispenser - Barmaid # Spousal equivalent - Longterm boyfriend or girlfriend # Vo ume r i ca y challenged - An overweight person # Mobile receptacle technician - Trolley collector

The compromise turned on a bit of semantics: Under the new proposal, employees of agencies that contract with the city are permitted to designate any "legally domiciled member" of the household to receive "spousal equivalent benefits." So an employee might designate a blood relative or a gay lover.

Laws have not yet caught up with the growing number of people living together without marriage, according to the authors of The Spousal Equivalent Handbook.

In addition, the union wanted stronger seniority rights; changes in bereavement leave to include spousal equivalent, significant other or best friend; and an agreement that teachers who volunteer for a sixth class would receive an additional fifth of their salary and that volunteers be limited to teachers with professional status.

Spousal equivalent might be something you buy at Wal-Mart that comes with batteries.