So I always encounter guys who call me babe. Drives me insane. Especially if I do not know them. Yet from a girl I don’t mind and even like, really like, hearing terms of endearment, even the casually uttered. So what term(s) of endearment drives you nuts? And does it still apply if from the gender that attracts you? What terms do you adore most?
I've never had a girl call me a term of endearment. There is a fellow gay man in my class, and he calls me babe and baby. I absolutely hate it. If it were probably from a person who I liked in that way, I wouldn't mind. Here is a list I made about..four months ago. Terms I'd allow from my special someone: Sweetheart, baby, darling, dear, hubby, squire, pup, prince, hunny, angel. Some are kind of odd, but they seem flattering to me.
I'm not too fussed about terms of endearment because they're rarely used on me (apart from darling). I've only had family and friends either use a nickname or call me by my name. I can see why people get annoyed. Especially women and older folk (60+). When it comes to sweetheart, darling and dear it can come across as patronising and sexist even if the person saying it doesn't mean to be. Myself personally, I never use terms of endearment and I rarely use nicknames. @BornInTexas: Squire? I haven't heard that one be used before.
Well, here in Texas every other person calls you babe, baby, sweetheart, darlin', honey, etc. I had a boyfriend in high school who called me a Norwegian term of endearment but I don't remember what it was. I've never felt comfortable enough with a guy to really give him a "pet name"... now that I know how I feel about girls, I might have to break out the cutesie names!
I don't mind whenever anybody calls me a term of endearment, guy or gal, but it takes on different meanings depending on who says it...
I hate being called Sir, He, Mr, or any I missed. I like the female ones and also Mike calls me Junebug, Junie, Sugar, Hunny, and Baby most often. I love it when Mike calls me Junie or Junebug the best. I feel strangely uncomfortable when a female does it. I love a man to use female ones when addresing me. I feel like nails on a chalk board when a guy calls me Sir. I have one friend that uses male terms when talking to me all the time. I have to correct him all the time and it gets me mad sometimes. I think he just likes yanking on my chains. June
"Sweetheart." At least this one has some sort of meaning to it. But still. I just hate how it sounds. And because I hate how it sounds, I only ever call other people "sweetheart" in a condescending way. "No sweetheart, chocolate milk doesn't come from brown cows." Honey is similar. I just find it... silly. It doesn't enrage me or anything, and I'm fine with strangers calling me those things. But I prefer that people I know don't do that. Baby, baby girl, babe, and any other derivatives I tend to like. My favorite term of endearment to call my special someone is Schatz/Schatzi. It's German for treasure (I sort of really like the German language).
Dearie, Sweetheart, Darling, Love, Honey, Toots, Rosie, etc. all of which I have been called multiple times. Some I hate in general because they just sound awful, and some annoy me because of their female connotation, esp. when applied to me
So what term(s) of endearment drives you nuts? Babe and baby. No. Just no. And does it still apply if from the gender that attracts you? It does, unfortunately :icon_redf. Baby seems really popular,and it just irks me. What terms do you adore most? I'm the annoying person who probably sounds incredibly condescending with my frequent use of darling/sweetheart/flower/honey/pumpkin/sugarplum/etc. Although with someone I'm with, I stick to love/darling. Generally. It depends on whether I enjoy winding them up or not.
I like tesoro best, which is treasure in Italian. But that is an exclusive of one person ever allowed.
I'm with you on this one, Wolfie. I've noticed that I usually get irritated about certain terms of endearment when they come from straight men, or rather when they have a certain type of personality. I can't really describe it, but arrogance and sleaziness has a lot to do with it. Especially the term 'baby'. It just doesn't feel right. I'd just as soon answer to 'sea urchin' than baby. I think it's mostly a straight guy thing for me, as my best friend is gay and he calls me 'boo' sometimes. His boyfriend also calls me dear, honey, etc. That I don't mind, but then I have known them for quite some time. Coming from women, I love it and think it's so sweet. :icon_redf But maybe that's because I'm used to seeing women as more openly sweet and caring in public. That and it's just plain cute.
Well I hate when guys do that, it sounds like too much uncalled familiarity on their part and condescending too. In fact it irritated me when a woman does it too if we aren't close. Terms of endearment to me equal touching so when someone "touches" me with a word like that without my permission, they are getting the red eye and frustrated looks from me. I might even comment on them doing it or just plain tell them to F off it irritates me so bad. It's different if it's coming from a person I like, preferably female because when guys do it it just automatically means they look down on you, at least that's how they make it sound and when females do it they are more about how close you two are so when it's not fake or forced it's very special and sweet. Sweetheart. Sweety. Sweets. I love kiddo. It's sort of very..kind..and I love kind. Baby only with someone I love and who loves me. But I also love a nickname from a name. Like Anny for Anna, or Jessi for Jessica, so on and so forth.
It annoys me when I get called hun, babe, darling, sweety etc, especially off a man. It's a woman, it depends on the context. If I know them and am comfortable with them to a certain degree, then fine, if I don't know them from Adam, then I don't like it. I sometimes do this clucky thing where I call people 'my love' if I'm being nice to them, or trying to help them. I realise this might be annoying to others. Terms of indearment from a lover are fine, that's a different thing entirely.