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AIBU

Don’t call me ‘love’

(171 Posts)
Bridgeit Fri 10-Aug-18 17:21:53

What next, I have just read a brilliant article from Coleen Nolan, apparently Gatwick Airport staff have been told they must no longer call customers Love or Darling , she is quite rightly horrified & so am I .
It is the thin edge of the wedge IMO, what happened to freedom of speech & social interaction
Yes I know it can be said in a derogatory tone of voice, but generally speaking it’s harmless isn’t it?

MissAdventure Sun 12-Aug-18 10:25:38

Me too.

I suppose I had better stop calling random people 'love'.

grandtanteJE65 Sun 12-Aug-18 10:26:25

I detest being called, love, duckie, hen, darling or dear by strangers. I have a name and as often as not have introduced myself, so if it is too much trouble to remember that I am Mrs. N then shop assistants, clerks, doctors, nurses etc. are very welcome to call me Madam.

MissAdventure Sun 12-Aug-18 10:27:58

Ooh err!
Yep, time to stop! grin

Apricity Sun 12-Aug-18 10:29:24

As long as no one ever says to me "And how are we today?" If it happens I do hope my faculties are sufficiently intact to be able to tersely reply "I'm just fine but you are looking very seedy." That will be just before I stick a fork somewhere painful!

harrysgran Sun 12-Aug-18 10:29:47

Don't mind love or up north pet, but HUN makes me cringe

ajanela Sun 12-Aug-18 10:40:22

I hate, love, darling, dear etc. Sir or Madam is appropriate if they can't remember your name or nothing at all.
e.g Please come this way or Please come this way, sir.

Oldwoman70 Sun 12-Aug-18 10:51:34

As others have said, I really don't mind what people call me as long as it is not patronising. It is quite normal where I live to walk into a shop and be greeted by "alright my lover" - I can imagine some GNs clutching their pearls and falling down in a faint at that one!

Theoddbird Sun 12-Aug-18 10:53:13

I detest being called love or darling or babe. Quite right that they should be told not to use these terms.

Fennel Sun 12-Aug-18 11:03:23

Another NE one is hinny - don't hear that now. I don't mind pet and love.
I belong to a forum which has mostly males, and they often call eachother, and me, 'mate.' Which I'm not so keen on.

LadyGracie Sun 12-Aug-18 11:03:35

I don't think you'll ever stop it in Wales, they're mainly friendly hospitable people.

grannygranby Sun 12-Aug-18 11:03:38

I don’t like it. Rarely said with warmth usually a marker of positioning themselves as adult to child. (In TA terms) More commonly used by men to women: ‘thank you’ usually suffices eg at airport check in. And is more adult and respectful. I wouldn’t fight to be infantilised it’s time women grew up.

Sheilasue Sun 12-Aug-18 11:04:16

Well rather be called love or darling then ‘babe’ hate that word.

Legs55 Sun 12-Aug-18 11:06:54

As I'm Yorkshire born & bred i still often call people "love", I don't even think about it. Never heard it in Surrey/Middlesex except from fellow Northerners. Glaswegian members of my family always called us "hen". Another friend from Manchester area calls everybody "sweetie" or "ducks"

West Country is "my lovely" & now in Devon sometimes "my lover" which I'm obviously notgrin

I don't care as long as it's said in a friendly manner. One local here calls everybody "buddy"hmm

Happysexagenarian Sun 12-Aug-18 11:07:34

I'm with Anniebach it doesn't bother me, just a friendly approach. As a London Cockney it's something I grew up with, and I like the countless variations used in different areas of the country - Chuck; Pet, My Lover; My Lovely etc etc.

When I worked in a school the new Head told us not to 'address the children in familiar terms'. I ignored this and did a survey to ask what the kids thought. They found it odd that I was even asking. Out of 800 kids only 7 said they didn't like it because it was not the custom in their families.

NotSpaghetti Sun 12-Aug-18 11:13:34

Have to say, I’m amazed that so many people don’t mind. I hate all these so-called “terms of endearment” (even though a northerner) and I hate it most when I’m supposed to do someone’s “mate”.
I can accept it as not meaning any harm but still don’t like it.

MissAdventure Sun 12-Aug-18 11:16:09

smile I'm amazed so many people do mind!
Still, I shall watch my Ps and Qs in future, now I know that people really do object.

Diana54 Sun 12-Aug-18 11:17:43

It's standard "customer service policy" I'm afraid, Sir, Madam, love, Darling can all be made to sound derogatory according to the tone of voice.
I find the fawning, yes madam, of course madam, certainly madam intensely irritating

Marg123 Sun 12-Aug-18 11:20:03

I really dislike being addressed in these terms by sales people and anyone really who is not close to me.
When a car salesman asked “Can I help you love, I was outraged and replied, “Yes you can start by not calling me Love” and walked out of the showroom. No sale of a new car for him.

Bijou Sun 12-Aug-18 11:31:47

Nurses, carers etc. Adddress me as Love in such a way they imagine that because of my age I have lost my mental facilities. I hate it.

nipsmum Sun 12-Aug-18 11:36:33

Oh dear, I should be hung, drawn and quartered. During a chat with the Hermes delivery driver I called him darling, while explaining that my letterbox was on the front door, and not at the back door.

MissAdventure Sun 12-Aug-18 11:38:27

He's probably traumatised!

KatyK Sun 12-Aug-18 11:39:30

I love being called love, darlin' or hun or whatever. If I am feeling a bit low and someone calls me hun or something it cheers me up. Not long ago, a young salesman called me babes. It made my day. I hate being called madam. It makes me feel ancient.

CardiffJaguar Sun 12-Aug-18 11:53:33

Tell them to use Pet! Bring a bit of the north east to bear.

Mapleleaf Sun 12-Aug-18 11:54:51

Context is everything. Generally speaking, there are far worse things to get in a state about, than being called love, darling, hen, hinny, pet, flower, etc. But, as I say, context is everything.

MissAdventure Sun 12-Aug-18 12:03:10

One of my happiest moments was being called 'My old cock a lorra' by a lady in a shop, once. smile