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AIBU

What's in a name?

(76 Posts)
Megram Wed 13-Apr-16 10:51:22

Is it just me, or does anyone else dislike being called "love" or "doll" by shop assistants or people who come to the house to carry out jobs? I find it even worse when the person is younger than me! Funnily enough, the Geordie term "pet" doesn't bother me. I'm not overly keen on being called by my first name either by medical staff, etc.
Am I being old fashioned?! grin

grannylyn65 Wed 13-Apr-16 10:56:24

Other things bother me more !!

sunseeker Wed 13-Apr-16 10:58:32

I don't mind being called love or pet but would dislike being called doll. As my last name is unusual people always struggle to pronounce it so I always tell them to use my first name!

Galen Wed 13-Apr-16 11:09:44

I raised an eyebrow at tribunal the other day when the claimant kept addressing the judge and myself as 'my darling'

Juggernaut Wed 13-Apr-16 11:15:33

I don't mind 'love', 'chuck' or 'duck' but hate with a passion 'doll', 'babe', 'sweetheart', or the worst of all, 'darling'.......They all make me want to take a baseball bat to something.....or someone!

janeainsworth Wed 13-Apr-16 11:19:31

Galen shock
How very dare they!
grin

ninathenana Wed 13-Apr-16 11:46:27

D has a habit of addressing random people on the phone as 'darlin' Not something I've ever done.
I don't mind being called 'love' or as the older gent called me in the supermarket queue 'young lady' grin
I don't like being addressed as 'you guys' which is what the waitress said to D and I the other day. I find that bizarre.

Nonnie Wed 13-Apr-16 11:47:40

I think it depends on how they say it, can't define that but somehow it makes a difference. I used to sometimes call the guys I worked with 'young man' and mostly they loved it because I was older than most of them but one young chap really objected so I simply apologised. With another it got me far more cooperation than he gave anyone else.

harrigran Wed 13-Apr-16 12:00:47

Pet is used all the time where I live and I don't mind. I hate to hear young ones say " laters babes " and "darlin" yuck. There is a lot of slovenly language here and one particular bugbear is "thang you", when in God's creation did they change the K to a G ?

Juliette Wed 13-Apr-16 12:34:01

I was called sausage in Tesco yesterday.
I paid for my shopping and the charming young man (patronising git) waved me on my way with....'cheers sausage, have a nice day'.
Couldn't formulate a sarcastic enough response but have thought of plenty since!

Jane10 Wed 13-Apr-16 12:47:05

I quite like 'sausage'! Never been called it though. I'm not keen on being called 'young lady' with a sort of heavy irony. The speaker obviously thinks he's being hilarious.
Recently our dentists surgery has taken to calling all patients by their first name and I really resent that. I feel belittled and disrespected. I might not respond to it next time and feign surprise that it was me they meant when calling my name.

ninathenana Wed 13-Apr-16 13:39:01

Hmm, the use of first names is a grey area for me. My Dr uses my first name, that's fine as I've asked him to. My physio although he's been man handling me regularly for about 3 mths grin and introduced himself by first name and I did say call me X he still calls me Mrs. Y
Dentists I'm not sure about, funny isn't it.

Megram Wed 13-Apr-16 13:51:07

Yes, reading some of these, I think it does depend on the situation. With hindsight, I guess if I was upset and being comforted, "love" would be ok. Perhaps it's the feeling that I'm being patronised that I object to!

I know, there are bigger things to worry about these days. Always interesting to get other people's views though.smile

Bellanonna Wed 13-Apr-16 14:13:54

My dentist calls me by my first name, and I use his. One GP used to do that too but I resented it as I only called her Dr mc.... I think she'd have been horrified st the use of her first name. I always give my first name when booking e.g. lunch st a pub, or to anyone coming round to give estimates and happy for them to go on calling me that. It's my name, after all. Detest "young" lady as that really is patronising. Don't mind darlin' , duck, doll, or the further North equivalents. Hate "dear" as that's really enfeebling. Yes, see you later from the 16 year old cashier is just daft as is the exhortation to have a nice rest of my day. Thank you, 'bye would do.

Teetime Wed 13-Apr-16 14:30:54

Its all 'My Duck' round here. I'm not from these parts and I find it friendly and charming. I used to work with GP as his District Nurse who used to call me Sugar Plum!!! I won't tell you what I used to call him.

My Dad used to say ' I don't care what you call me as long as you don't call me late for dinner'. That's Ok with me too.

mumofmadboys Wed 13-Apr-16 14:37:55

My dad used to call me sausage! He died four years ago.

Stansgran Wed 13-Apr-16 15:15:11

GP calls me Mrs and I call him dr. While in the same appointment DH and GP call each other by their first names as they play golf together. The dentist thinks he is being charming calling me this young lady. It makes me cringe. I keep meaning to tell the practice manager to tell him to stop it.

Nonnie Wed 13-Apr-16 16:00:27

Bella you reminded me of one of my pet annoyances, when TV presenters say "see you tomorrow" No they won't! I will see them!!

I quite like it when people use my first name as Mrs N always sounds like they are talking to my MiL even though she died just after we married.

I was quite impressed with someone who was calling me Mrs N until I phoned and said my whole name and after that she used my first name. She was clearly paying attention on decided that if I used it I was giving her permission to do so.

numberplease Wed 13-Apr-16 16:23:50

We have known our youngest son`s MIL for nigh on 30 years, but she still insists on calling us Mr and Mrs ----. When I suggested a couple of years ago that she call us by our first names as we do her, she told me she wouldn`t do that, as she`d been brought up properly, meaning, I assume, that I wasn`t!

Kittye Wed 13-Apr-16 16:32:21

Don't care what anyone calls me, as long as they don't call me early smile

whitewave Wed 13-Apr-16 16:35:16

galen were they of an artistic nature?

Galen Wed 13-Apr-16 17:24:43

No! More of an overindulger in alcohol

whitewave Wed 13-Apr-16 17:42:26

Oh shame I had a image of an out of work actor.

lizzypopbottle Wed 13-Apr-16 17:52:40

I don't mind medical staff calling me by my name if they've asked me what my preference is. Unfortunately, when forms are filled in, people put their full, formal name down and that's often what goes on the whiteboard behind the bed. My father-in-law's name was Henry and that was on the board for all staff to call him. From childhood he was known as Harry rather than Henry. He was too ill to worry but it bothered his family. My mother-in-law was christened Mary but family and friends always used her middle name. 'Mary' was on the board. It was a name only for forms. She had never used it. It's patronising, disrespectful and inconsiderate to call someone by the wrong name no matter how many times their family has explained. My parents-in-law served in the armed forces in WW2 and deserved the respect of Mr and Mrs from young nurses and doctors unless they agreed otherwise.

Leticia Wed 13-Apr-16 18:04:07

It isn't something that bothers me.