Don’t call me ‘love’

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 not

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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!

Ooh err!
Yep, time to stop!

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.

Me too.

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

I don 't mind what people call me as long as they are friendly. It's all so harmless, and there are much worse things to get annoyed about. And I hate the erosion of all our little freedoms by the politically correct brigade.

I have the worlds worst memory for names - pretty much every child in the school I worked in was ‘sweetheart’ (unless they made themselves memorable for some reason!).

Likewise many adults - I never forget a face - but even MY name escapes me most of the time

To be honest when someone calls you that it’s usually because they are nice. Far better than being someone that looks straight through you and says nothing.

No problem being called love, but the trend to write & say “Hun” at end of every sentence make me cringe !!
See you later hun !
All ok hun !
Text me hun !!
Give me love any day x

I like being called "young lady" - it's an in-joke between older men and me, and I never mind. However, recently, my son took the proffered object off me, handed it to the woman behind, and said severely, "He can't possibly mean you, mum."