What is a frenemy?

About this episode

A frenemy is a person who is both a friend and an enemy. In fact the term is a blend of the words “friend” and “enemy”, and it was first used in print by the American journalist Walter Winchell in 1953. Although Jessica Mitford, of the infamous Mitford sisters also claimed in 1977 that the word was invented by one of her sisters: "... an incredibly useful word…coined by one of my sisters when she was a small child to describe a rather dull little girl who lived near us. My sister and the frenemy played together constantly…all the time disliking each other heartily." Essentially a frenemy is someone who acts friendly or supportive, but also undermines, competes with, or betrays you.  So how can you tell if someone is a frenemy? How can you deal with a frenemy? To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : How do I know when to end a friendship? What is social jet lag? Are cold showers good for you? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices