Love? Duck? Hun? Bab?

Hannah_Alumni

Coming back from the Christmas period I logged into a meeting with my wonderful colleagues and exclaimed "Hello my loves, did you have a good Christmas?"

It made me wonder about regional ways of greeting, of nicknaming people as a way to be endearing and how for some, it isn't always welcome.

In the community, everyone is such a lovely bunch and being in a professional capacity it does take everything to not say things like "oh love", "yes chick!" or "that's amazing news hun"...etc.

I've seen more terms of endearments crop up in discussions and it made me wonder;

• How many people in the community use nicknames like this?
• What nicknames do people use the most?

Cartini

Hi,

I`m a northerner, so "love" is a greetting / term of endearment I`m used to.  I, personally, don`t use it though.

I do use "chuck" and greet certain people with that. 

One term I use for a friend I work with is "chucklebutty" (I think it was one of Ken Dodd`s expressions), on lazy days I shorten it to "chuckles".

I now live in the South West and one expression I`m used to being greeted with is "orroit moi bird".

My parental home is an overspill for Liverpool; at school it used to be "come ed lar" (not so much of a greeting, but an expression to follow / do something).

Bab, Babe & hun are 3 expressions that make me cringe.

chiarieds

You've taken me back to my youth (mind I'm still 27 ), when people used to say 'Hello ducks.'

I initially failed to grasp 7 years ago, that when my neighbours said, 'You alright?,' to which I used to respond, that it was just the same as 'Hello.' This is in God's own county. One of my neighbours says, 'Hello young lady' to me......now that I like!

I don't use any such terms myself, & would have been somewhat affronted to be called 'chick.'

Grinchy

I say hi lovely, don't mean anything by it, i hope it doesn't cause offence as non is intended, an interesting thread

Oxonlady

Hi my S (separated) husband is from Gateshead and he still calls me "Pet". This I don't mind. But when we first met in 1980, he used to call me "piranha" and I absolutely hated it.
With people I know, I do use the terms "love" and "darling" and no one has ever objected as I mean well! 

leeCal

I have called my youngsters Pushkin before now, honeybunch was quite common when I was young, as was sweetie, petal and flower.

SueHeath

I'm the worlds worst for using a lot of these words, sorry if any one gets offended but there is no intention of that ment, it's just how words roll of my tongue, i write on hear the same way as i would talk so i use darling, bab, lovely's a lot. 

Sandy_123

I don't tend to use them, very rarely. I don't get offended by them being used. Recently a delivery driver dropped off a parcel and said " there you are, love, your Xmas gifts" I was like ok ta.   

SueHeath

I'd forgotten about Ta Sandy, that's another word us Brummies use a lot x

poppy123456

I have a good friend who i usually call "hun" but wouldn't use it for those i don't know. One thing i really hate is someone calling me "love," I'm not anyone's love. Don't mind anything else.

SueHeath

poppy123456 said:

I have a good friend who i usually call "hun" but wouldn't use it for those i don't know. One thing i really hate is someone calling me "love," I'm not anyone's love. Don't mind anything else.

Note to myself Poppy ha ha hope your okay with "lovely's" x

durhamjaide2001

Thanks for making this thread it's useful to me as I know you are all just being lovely caring people in this community. 

Hannah_Alumni

Some really good answers and insights here  

I tend to hold back from anyone that doesn't know me, using nicknames or terms of endearment like that. But it is hard! One thing I find interesting about these comments is how some have put origins on them.

I use terms like 'love' a lot and I was always told that was a northern thing. My grandfather was from Durham although I never met him, my grandmother picked up phrases he used and passed them on to her kids who passed them to us. 

It's amazing how we learn from our family too.

janer1967

One I really don't like is doll and have had to train my other half not to say it 

Apart from that I don't mind and I use the occasional hun or lovlies 

Wibbles

'Wotcha cocker' or 'Alright mush' ?

Cockney - my uncle used to say the former

Wibbles

NOT "Babes" - my wife hates being called "Babes" - she likens it to being called a Pig !!

But then she is GURT LUSH !

poppy123456

SueHeath said:

poppy123456 said:

I have a good friend who i usually call "hun" but wouldn't use it for those i don't know. One thing i really hate is someone calling me "love," I'm not anyone's love. Don't mind anything else.

Note to myself Poppy ha ha hope your okay with "lovely's" x

Haha, lovelies is fine

SueHeath

I've been called babe and i did find it a bit weird prob because i'm in my sixty's ha ha - didn't feel right tho. 
I've heard "Lush" used on the TV a bit x

durhamjaide2001

Nickname I like 
love 
Honey 
Sweetie 
sweetheart
chick
honey
Darling 

nicknames I don't like 
pet
cutiepie 
babes
kids 
mates 

Nicknames I may call some of the community
honey 
love
chick
mates
hun
sweet
sweetie 
sweetheart

BillYNWA

I used to say Love but have educated myself to using Lass. The term Love was in no way derogatory but it seemed politic to change. However I still hold doors open for both male and females, will offer my seat to pregnant or the elderly. I consider these things good manners.

Steve_in_The_City

I don't use terms of endearment myself except with my late partner. However, people frequently call me love, lovely, darling etc and I don't mind at all. It is always said in a warm and friendly was so I take no offense.