I'm not exactly a "mushy" and "gushy" kind of woman. (At least not right off the bat anyway!)..So it feels a little awkward when men I don't know (or men I barely know) call me "precious" or "princess" or even "sweetie" or "pretty lady" etc..This is just not me. (And not what I'm used to etc.)...It was different with my husband. Over time I really came to enjoy his "pet names" and "love terms" for me. And I had "special names" for him too and it was "all okay!"...But it takes me time to get to this point. My husband and I were "together" for 29 years and happily married for 24 years...If he would have called me "honey bunny" on the first few dates I probably would have "bolted" for the closest door!..How do you feel about terms of endearment in the early stages? Thanks.

thats tricky, because not everyone has the same names on that list

for instance, Im from the midwest, and sweety or honey or pretty lady would all just be considered polite ways to address someone, and not that intimate or especially endearing

I use them myself like punctuation

and I have worked with 'southern belles' who use the term pretty lady with other females quite regularly too,,


the 'honey bunny', I would consider a bit over the top though

not knowing someone that well, i think calling them (or getting called) "sweetie" or "honey bun" is not intimate at all (probably say that to everyone). once two people get to know each other, than "sugar crotch" is much more intimate

wth @ sugar crotch,,,

I'm not a fan if terms of endearment from strangers or people I barely know. I find it to be insincere and cheesy.

I can understand that. But sometimes its a cultural vernacular that just becomes part of the language,,as sincsere as saying 'yall', or sir or mam or miss or young man, or young lady


when you dont yet know someones name,and then even after you do,, we just all have different ways of addressing others

but I have known people who feel some words are more intimate than others and arent comfortable being addressed in that manner, and thats to be respected(as much as possible anyway) once they make the speaker aware of their discomfort

hahahahahahaha
If you only knew some of the tender, loving
things krupa has called me..I am afraid I
encourage them when I scream with laughter.
hahahaha

I can relate to cultural differences. For instance when my sons were young they started putting "o's" at the end of everyone's first name. But they only did this with relatives and friends they felt close to and liked the best..When my husband and I started dating (seriously) and after we got married my sons put an "o" at the end of his name too!...My husband felt honored but it took him awhile to get used to his "new name." (No one in his family did anything like this.) But after awhile he loved the "o" and got into the "swing" of things.

it may be a texas thing. glad you and krupa have each other, i've been looking for a penis holster i could call my own

Sometimes it can be "touchy" to refer to someone as a "young man" or "young woman.".. What is the cut-off when it comes to who is "young" or "not young" or "old?"...I'm 63 now so someone in their 40's still seems "young" to me. But I ran into someone who took offense when I referred to her as a "young woman." (She's 42.)...In her mind I was trying to put her down. (Or "pull rank" or ??)...Most of the time I operate as sort of a "generic person." I just do what needs to be done on a daily basis and don't feel "highly feminine."..Guess I tend to reserve my "feminine side" for my partner and "soul mate" during our private moments (and life) together.

I am from the northeast. I tend to find the people that work at Dunkin Donuts and other drive through Females addressing me as hon or sweetie and I am fine with it. I don't think I have ever had a male address me with those names.

I agree that "pet names" can be tricky. I suppose it just depends on the situation and your mood overall as well.

i hatehatehatehatehateHATE when random guys call me babe, honey, etc.
you can call me by my name and end of story.
i'll only let you call me something else if i know and like you.

hahahahaha you could be brothers :-)

I call my daughter and nieces sweetie. I call grown-ups "my dear woman." I mean no harm, it's just vernacular in the south, pretty ladies...

this texas thing is getting spooky. i get a vernacular when i see pretty ladies in the south too

I like to use "Hello Friend" with strangers... or peeps I forgot their names

it's universal... breaks the ice nicely and it's non creepy!

I agree with this entirely. It is the same in the UK, their are common ways of addressing strangers that vary dependent upon which part of the country you are in. However, I can understand it being offensive to a woman, when a man with no family or close romantic connection, and knowing her name, chooses to address her in a more intimate way, positively rude in my opinion.

I try to put things in context..I know we all come from different regions and cultures etc..So I don't get upset or take offense when it's obvious that someone is just trying to be friendly and caring towards me.

seems logical to me,,,,context is much more important than any one word,,,,