Puppy love (also known as a crush, calf love, or kitten love) is an informal term for feelings of love, romance, or infatuation felt by young people during their childhood and even adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. "Simple infatuation is often called a 'crush' or 'puppy love'. It commonly strikes those in the early teens or younger".
The term is often used in a derogatory fashion, describing emotions which are shallow and transient in comparison to other forms of love such as romantic love: "calf-love...a sickly, sentimental dream which only a moonstruck fool could have created!". Sigmund Freud however was far from underestimating the power of early love; recognised the validity of "the proverbial durability of first loves: on reviendra toujours à ses premières amours".
Read more about Puppy Love: Characteristics
Famous quotes containing the words puppy and/or love:
“Why does not the kitten betray some of the attributes common to the adult puss? A puppy is but a dog, plus high spirits, and minus common sense. We never hear our friends say they love puppies, but cannot bear dogs. A kitten is a thing apart; and many people who lack the discriminating enthusiasm for cats, who regard these beautiful beasts with aversion and mistrust, are won over easily, and cajoled out of their prejudices, by the deceitful wiles of kittenhood.”
—Agnes Repplier (1858–1950)
“Welcome the comming of the long’d-for May.
Now all things smile; onely my Love doth lowre;
Nor hath the scalding noon-day sunne the power
To melt that marble yce, which still doth hold
Her heart congeal’d, and makes her pittie cold.”
—Thomas Carew (1589–1639)