Do you mind?

[bananiem]

I had a furniture delivery kid of about 20 call me "darlin'" once when I complained about the condition of the furniture. I let him know I wasn't "his darlin'."

 

[Dan Murphy]

When a waitress calls me 'dear', it is an additional 5%!!

 

[Pagan Moon]

When someone calls me "dear" I start looking for my Grandmother... she is the only one I'd let get away with calling me dear..

I don't like being called "kids" either

 

[NMAmy]

Why does that bother you? Not trying to be rude but that is a usual thing here in the South.

I agree, Michelle. I used ma'am a lot when I lived in New Mexico and I got used to it when my ex was in the military. If you didn't know someone's rank or name, we were instructed to call them sir or ma'am when I worked at the PX. I was all of 23 at the time and it didn't bother me. Heck, I call dd ma'am sometimes and she's 15--I also call her Little Missy when I'm giving her a hard time.

As for me, you can pretty much call me anything and I'll answer--honey, sweetie, dear, darlin', ma'am. I always figure people are just trying to be friendly and take it in the spirit it was meant. Now if someone was being sarcastic or rude, that'd be a different story.

 

[disykat]

Ma'am seems polite to me - straight out of an etiquette book. I consider using endearments on a stranger to be condescending - as if you are talking to a small child. While I TRY to take things in the spirit in which they are intended, I have a hard time hearing endearments from a stanger and not considering it sarcastic or rude. They obviously don't know me well enough to mean it.

 

[Diane]

I usually give it right back to ‘em: “Here’s your sandwich, Dear.” “Thanks, Honey.” Or, “Will that be all, Ma’am?” “Yes, Sir.” They typically become flustered and don’t seem to know how to respond. I think it’s kinda funny.

 

[Shugardrawers]

I'd prefer a stranger called me either Ma'am or Mrs. XXX. It was quite a shock to move to the south and be called baby, honey and sweetie by total strangers. At first I was offended but now I'm used to it. I never said anything to anyone about it though. I'd never dream of offending them when they were just trying to be nice.

 

[Michie]

Doesn't bother me. People have called me a lot of things over the years. You have to pick your battles.

I agree with you. I call people dear,honey, sweety all the time. Just part of who I am. If they dont like it, they can stick it where the sun dont shine.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

It doesn't bother me at all. I'd rather they call me "dear" than "stupid idiot."

 

[tiggerlover]

It used to bother me if it came from anyone but an older person. However, now that I live in the south a lot of folks say dear and honey, you just kind of get used to it.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I don't mind the terms of endearment unless it's from a mechanic. For some reason, that sets me on edge.

 

[reddixie]

As we all know I am southern born, southern bred, and when I die I'll be southern dead. We use dear, sweetie, hon, honey, ma'am, and sir reguarly. It is never meant sarcastic or rude. That is just how we speak. Therefore I am not offended by someone else doing it to me. Thanks Dear for starting another North versus South debate.

 

[pattyT]

whenever i call my dh dear he will hold his hand up by his head and wiggle his fingers out like 'antlers' and say ' yeees.....'

 

[dis ms.]

This is inspired by bananiem's Olive Garden thread.

Do you mind being called dear? It doesn't upset me at all. Actually I find it flattering.

I prefer "Foxy Lady" myself.

I couldn't care less if people call me "dear". I definitely have been called worse...

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

The checker at Wal-Mart called me HON about 10 times last night. And she didn't pronounce it HON, she pronounced it HAWON. It gave me the heebie jeebies.

 

[safetymom]

I don't like it when you can't call them the name they just call you. Like at a doctors office, I can't call them dear or their first name. They should ask what you prefer.

 

[Serena]

It all depends on how it's said. But for the most part, there are a lot worse things I could be called.

 

[dis ms.]

I don't like it when you can't call them the name they just call you. Like at a doctors office, I can't call them dear or their first name. They should ask what you prefer.

Okay, that just seems awkward. I don't want my gynecologist asking me if I want to be called "dear", ms., ma'am or whatever. Just get your business done and get me out of the stirrups.

Hmmm....Now that I think about it, it might be kind of creepy for the gynecologist to call me dear while he's examining my nether regions.

 

[Poohnatic]

When I was younger, I sure did. Now I like it. Beats being asked if my kids are my grandkids!


suzanne

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

I don't mind. Of course I'm from the south and I get called "Honey", "Hon", "Sweetie", "Dear", "Darlin" and a variety of other endearments by people I've never met before on a daily basis, lol. You get used to it and I don't give it a second thought.

Don't forget Sugar