Do you find it annoying when strangers keep calling you “sweetheart” or some other inane term of endearment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tend to listen for the intent and not the words.

+1 Usually I find that the intentions are friendly and I like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hated taking my kids to the ortho where everyone older than me in the office insisted on calling me "Mom"

I asked them to stop but they wouldn't.

That’s just how it is in pediatrics. They don’t know if your last name matches your child’s so they just say “hey Jayden, come on into room 2. Mom you can come on in too , or you can wait in the waiting area”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a LMC thing. Just ignore it.

In England, the equivalent is “Luf (love)” or “Duk (Duck)” and it’s an LMC/regional (northern)thing there too.

No, in England in the 1970's in the NORTH only it was "Duck". No one still living uses that.

I was in Cornwall last summer and the locals alternately called me "luv" or "duckie." I didn't mind at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hated taking my kids to the ortho where everyone older than me in the office insisted on calling me "Mom"

I asked them to stop but they wouldn't.

That’s just how it is in pediatrics. They don’t know if your last name matches your child’s so they just say “hey Jayden, come on into room 2. Mom you can come on in too , or you can wait in the waiting area”

People who curse their child with the name Jayden should not complain about being called Mom.

[Anonymous]

We must travel in very different classes, OP. I have not had this experience in the US ever.

[Anonymous]

I hate it. It’s patronizing and condescending and just completely unnecessary. We are strangers.

But I am not going to remember it after I leave or give it a thought. It just irritates me in the moment. If it’s a restaurant it will mean a lower tip for the lack of respect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be honest, it had never happened to me before yesterday and I found it so aggravating/annoying. Almost patronizing.

It was at a restaurant and the waitress kept calling me sweetheart at the end of every sentence or answer.

“I got you sweetheart.” “Don’t worry sweetheart.” Etc. Ad nauseam.

I had people call me some sort of endearment before, but usually only once and that was fine. Yesterday, the constant repetition was irksome and came across as patronizing.

Maybe I was just tired?! lol

From NY, have lived in the DMV area for several decades, and have only been called sweetheart or honey by older, southern woman and one misogynist a$$hole who I put in his place the moment it came out of his mouth. I can't stand it no matter who's mouth it comes out of

[Anonymous]

The only time I’ve ever given a term a thought was when I was 22 going to law school in the south and everyone called me “ma’am.” I was like…I’m from New England and way too young to be called that. Other than that, unless you are calling a vulgar term I take no notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hated taking my kids to the ortho where everyone older than me in the office insisted on calling me "Mom"

I asked them to stop but they wouldn't.

That’s just how it is in pediatrics. They don’t know if your last name matches your child’s so they just say “hey Jayden, come on into room 2. Mom you can come on in too , or you can wait in the waiting area”

People who curse their child with the name Jayden should not complain about being called Mom.

Idk, there’s a Jayden who’s doing pretty well in this area these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a LMC thing. Just ignore it.

In England, the equivalent is “Luf (love)” or “Duk (Duck)” and it’s an LMC/regional (northern)thing there too.

No, in England in the 1970's in the NORTH only it was "Duck". No one still living uses that.

You think people who were alive in the 1970s aren’t alive now??

Lol!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be honest, it had never happened to me before yesterday and I found it so aggravating/annoying. Almost patronizing.

It was at a restaurant and the waitress kept calling me sweetheart at the end of every sentence or answer.

“I got you sweetheart.” “Don’t worry sweetheart.” Etc. Ad nauseam.

I had people call me some sort of endearment before, but usually only once and that was fine. Yesterday, the constant repetition was irksome and came across as patronizing.

Maybe I was just tired?! lol

No I do not get annoyed. Few people do it and when they do it is usually cultural rather than patronizing to me.

[Anonymous]

HATE sweetie honey etc. I usually walk away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I enjoy it. I love being called honey, sweetheart, ma'am, miss...

This.
The Jamaican lady @ the deli calls me, baby. Love it.

[Anonymous]

It bothered me a lot when I was a young female attorney in DC and older men, including judges, talked down to me a lot. Waitresses I figure are just doing it because that's how they were raised (same as how some people will always say yes ma'am and no sir), so it doesn't annoy me, although I find it odd because I was raised in CA and no one used those terms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be honest, it had never happened to me before yesterday and I found it so aggravating/annoying. Almost patronizing.

It was at a restaurant and the waitress kept calling me sweetheart at the end of every sentence or answer.

“I got you sweetheart.” “Don’t worry sweetheart.” Etc. Ad nauseam.

I had people call me some sort of endearment before, but usually only once and that was fine. Yesterday, the constant repetition was irksome and came across as patronizing.

Maybe I was just tired?! lol

Context matters. I highly doubt a waitress was being patronizing.