Do you mind if a stranger refers to you by a familiar term?

Question

For example if someone you've just met calls you "darling", "sweetheart", "honey", "buddy", "mate", or "love" does it make you warm, or resistent to them? What context dictates your response? Examples are welcome.

Lady: Thanks, I was trying to think of that. Terms of endearment. That's such a great phrase.

Jon: I mentioned "mate" because you're right, it's in common use here in Australia. Still, I've known people to take offence to it. One customer my partner served once told him that's how people once referred to gay convicts upon their release. This is entirely untrue. Mateship was born of need, but in a different context. Convict's children first exhibited mateship, as a way to survive without any adults to care for them. They also extended this mateship to the Indigenous people who would care for them sometimes. Little known, even to most Aussies. So, I like being called "mate", even by a complete stranger. As long as it's in a friendly tone, as with anything.

Answer 1

dont bother me, i do that to sometimes, i do it because im very forgetful,lol, so its easier

Answer 2

Words like these fit anyone equally well, so I take them as a sign that they aren't particularly paying any attention to me. They probably want to have a superficial conversation with me and get through it quickly and usually that's not a problem.

But if someone calls me "blondie" or "slim" or refers to something about me, however superficial, it's quite different. It shows that they've seen something in me that isn't the same as everyone else. That's a better way to start for someone who wants to make friends with me.

Answer 3

Terms of endearment is what you call that, and there is nothing wrong with it. Depends on where a person is from how they use colloquial terms. My grandmother always called everyone, love, that is because she was from England, and people over there used that term a lot.

Answer 4

Where I work I am always on the phone talking to different people everyday....I get call sweetheart, honey, darling, babe and many many more names. I think I have been call a B**** before too.

Answer 5

While in Australia it is perfectly normal to hear people say 'mate' all the time, in the UK you will often hear 'love/luv', 'honey', 'sugar'. They are just said really as a friendly greeting especially at small groceries etc..

Answer 6

It really depends on the person. If someone who is a coworker or a potential friend calls me that, it doesn't bother me. It just shows that they are being friendly.

But if a salesperson or telemarketer calls me that, it really pisses me off. I don't even like it when they call me by my first name. I don't know why it makes me so mad, but I just want to slap them when they start calling me by my first name...and then overkill it by using it after every other word they say.

Answer 7

I really like it in most cases, with the exception of "buddy" which is usually used in the sentence "Hey buddy! Watch where you're going!" Mate is just something Australians say.

From what I can tell, the words sound
. . .nice when women say them to men (at least to me)
but maybe
. . .condescending when women say them to women, and
. . .creeps people out when men say them to women.

Answer 8

Howdy Mate, I don't mind being called in endearment way, I feel warm to them.

Answer 9

Its just a way of communication, why would I take offense. Its alot better than what I've been called by some other people ....lol

Answer 10

I would make a point of calling them something equally inappropriate like skip, chief, old timer etc

Answer 11

No Honey it doesn't bother me. Have a nice day Baby!