Page "Boy" Paragraph 11

The age boundary is not clear cut, rather dependent on the context or even on individual circumstances.

A young man who has not assumed ( or has been denied ) the traditional roles of a man might also be called a boy.

It may feel uncomfortable to a young male upon being referred to as a " man " before he believes he has assumed these roles, such as having a career, a partner, a household of his own, fatherhood, etc., though the addition of a jocular modifier such as " young man " or " little man " might lessen the dissonance.

Conversely, it may feel uncomfortable to a male to be called a " boy " if he believes he has assumed the traditional roles of a " man ".

In mother's / mama's boy, the word emphatically implies a male ( minor or adult in years ) who is too immature to be independent.