Love? Duck? Hun? Bab?

Hannah_Alumni
Hannah_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,866 Championing
in Coffee lounge
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?

Comments

  • Cartini
    Cartini Online Community Member Posts: 1,107 Trailblazing
    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
    chiarieds Online Community Member Posts: 16,760 Championing
    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
    Grinchy Online Community Member Posts: 1,953 Championing
    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
    Oxonlady Scope Member Posts: 563 Pioneering
    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
    leeCal Online Community Member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    edited December 2022
    I have called my youngsters Pushkin before now, honeybunch was quite common when I was young, as was sweetie, petal and flower.
  • SueHeath
    SueHeath Online Community Member Posts: 12,388 Championing
    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
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 62,963 Championing
    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
    SueHeath Online Community Member Posts: 12,388 Championing
    I'd forgotten about Ta Sandy, that's another word us Brummies use a lot x
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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
    SueHeath Online Community Member Posts: 12,388 Championing
    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
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 13,778 Championing
    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
    Hannah_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,866 Championing
    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
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    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
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,541 Championing
    edited December 2022
    'Wotcha cocker' or 'Alright mush' ?
    Cockney - my uncle used to say the former
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,541 Championing
    edited December 2022
    NOT "Babes" - my wife hates being called "Babes" - she likens it to being called a Pig !!
    But then she is GURT LUSH !
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    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
    SueHeath Online Community Member Posts: 12,388 Championing
    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
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 13,778 Championing
    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
    BillYNWA Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    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
    Steve_in_The_City Scope Member Posts: 788 Trailblazing
    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.

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