General Chat

......................................has apologised for calling a woman reporter 'sweetie'.

Do you find these sort of terms of endearment from a stranger offensive?

Jean x.

Hiya Jean

I do, a friend of mine used to call me dear and i hated it..i did tell her but it was something she called everyone lol

Julie x

I dont find them offensive, but I do find them irritating sometimes when they are from someone who is not sincere.

Offensive is a bit strong for how I would feel but between strangers I think it's uncomfortable.
My husband got into trouble at work for calling a group of females 'Ladies'.

Gwyn

It depends, sometimes it can come across as patronizing from a stranger, it depends on the Inflection .

If its someone I know,I dont mind at all:-))

Gwyn,Thats crazy!lol
what was he surpose to call them?lol

I'm obviously the odd one out here:(
I do it all the time.

Had no idea that some might find it offensive or upsetting or irritating.

Will have to have to try and stop it but it will be hard lol.

Jean x.

It appears to ME, being an Old'un. thats it SO difficult to pick a term that wont be taken the wrong way..

What WOULD be acceptable? in the manner of addressing some one you dont know?
you cant say Mrs,(missus) cos not everyone is married.....Miss is indeterminate? and I personally hate Ms...... Madam.......?LOL

( I HAVE been known to refer to ladies? younger than me, as girls......LOL)

Bob

I have a habit of saying if someone does something good - Good Girl, or Good Boy.

When I was working I said this to another woman, who had done something good, and she looked at me and said 'Dont you call me Good Girl, I am a grown woman'

This amused me, because we had an old aunt of 95, who always referred to her friends as 'The Girls' even though they were all well over 80.

As for sweetie, I would not mind, and living in Lancashire at one time, got used to being called Love.

I saw James Martin, on t.v. call someone sweet pea and I wish it was said to me lol the young lady he said it to was visibly weak at the knees....I would have been on the floor!! seriously though I would probably not like a sranger being so familiar.

No dont bother me in the slightest you could be called much worse lol

But if I like someone will call them hun, luv or sweetie but it is meant as a term of endearment I dont call everyone it and not strangers.

Jax xx

Im From Lancashire and it is used alot,I have never thought of it as Offensive.
One of my friends is a georgie,she always uses "Pet" and my best friend is from Glasgow she says "Hen",I surpose were all very Naughty;-))
lol

Roxanne
...not big trouble...
He was new to the job and being shown round.
On leaving the typists' office he said something like "Goodbye and thank you Ladies" but was told by his hostess that that was not pc.
....Stored information away and next time he had to go in the typists' office said, "Good morning.....er.. I was going to say Ladies....but I understand you're not !"

Nobody bothered to mind after that.

Sorry Jean....... :)

Gwyn

Well I'd rather be called that than something nasty. As a Scot from Edin where everyone seems to call each other dear then now in Yorkshire where it's love I don't mind in the least it's only a saying it doesn't mean anything derogatory or patronizing just a colloquialism
Just my thoughts!

Norah

I feel the same Norah. I don't mean to be patronising when I say it. It is usually when someone has been kind and polite to me.

Gwyn.....MWAH.

Jean x.

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest. There is far more going on in the world to be outraged about than a simple word. The guy clearly meant no malice in it.... I think it's very sad. x

I think you can tell when someones Sincere I dont mind a person calling me ,Love,Sweetie or any other little endearment,I think its sweet.
but....
I had an area manager who called me Honey once,I nearly hit the roof!!
it was most certainly patronizing,and I told him so;-))

Lol Gwyn.... I can hear him now!!! Much better to be a lady than a camp follower, wmsl!!

I don't mind any of the colloquial (sp) terms of address, in most circumstances... they are generally used to address someone in an informal way when a name is not known or appropriate.. most other languages have a formalised phrase or word I believe!

However.. I do hate it when I am called by my Christian name by some jumped up little upstart who has knocked on my door uninvited to sell me windows/gas/double glazing..... or telephoned intrusively to persuade me that they have the best/phone/loan/debt buster scheme... if they know enough about me to know my name and telephone number they should know my marital status/correct and polite address (Mr, Mrs Ms, and then surname) and use it.

I agree with you Island about the care homes.... but I do believe that some of the staff develop a very special bond with some of the residents..... and it is acceptable then, but with the permission of the resident or family! All residents should be asked what name they prefer to be called by.... the care standards state that!! I would mention it to the Care manager, as your father objects there is no way he should be addressed like that...

Take care

Love

Daff xxxx

Well, I find it *normal*.....

Sorry if it offends, but I call everyone LOVE.
I am a bit more demonstrative with my friends and family... but i have never thought of love, as an insult.

Hen... hinny... honey.... love... sweetie ....chuck... ????

Deanna X

I find them all offensive - honey, duck, love, darling, sweetheart - the list is endless.

My second mother-in-law called me girl - yuk

If you do not know me then don't call me anything at all.