I was wondering what don't you like to be called and if I offend anyone with what I call you.

This all started a few weeks back when a lady in another thread said she was a little bit offended because she was called "dear" a couple of times that week. I looked back and in a recent post to her I had called her dear...oops! Well, I apologized and she said it wasn't me that offended her....yipee!

I talked this over with Angie and she said she is not offended if an adult male calls her dear...in the above case the persons calling my friend "dear" were much younger. In my family, the adult males have always called women, of all ages, dear.

This conversation brought up the words BABE and HUN...now I call Angie "babe" anytime and anywhere...it doesn't bother her one bit where I say it...but if any other male said it to her...well.... it wouldn't be a pretty picture Same thing with the word hun, although it is rare I call her that.

Just wondering what are you called at times that bugs you? Do I bug you with what I call you?

B!tch is a touchy one for me.

I work with older people so I don't mind being called "hun" or "dear."

Hun or HON is a baltimore thing... everyone calls everyone HON

i call folks KUMQUAT... andI have NO IDEA why.... everyone just laughs... thankfully...

I think any term can be offensive, depending on how it is used (even "hun or dear" ).

However, recently my eight year old has referred, jokingly, to me as "the maid" and the other day said, jokingly, "woman" in reference to me as in "woman, it's time to go" -- he was definitely corrected

Gary -- if anyone on here is ever offended by something you say to them, they just don't know you well enough -- us "regulars" know you don't have a mean bone in your body -- you may, sometimes, try to act tough (I have yet to see it ) but are a big teddy bear!!

LOL - I work with people of all ages, so I am called by many, many different names - most are NOT PC. Hun, dear, sweetie, peach - none bother me at all - from either men or women.

Ironically, the only one that irks me is "Ma'am". I don't know why, since it IS socially acceptable, and I AM over 50. But, it bugs the heck outta me.

OH, and Gary - you NEVER offend me, I love your posts

I agree, anything CAN be offensive...it depends on WHO says it and the mood I am in when it is said. I mean if people I associate call me anything besides my name it really doesnt bother me...infact I work with all men and half the time one of them is always calling me "Dear". Usually I repspond with something like "just for you sweetheart". However, if someone I dont like or care for, or even barely know calls me "pet" names I sometimes get upset. Not enough to say anything (usually) but it just hits a nerve.....

Gary I think most of us around here know you well enough for the "pet" names.......So I have never been offended by you....

I used to get annoyed by "Ma'am" when I was younger. I hated being called that by sales people when it was obvious that A. I was barely out of my teen years and B. I wasn't married. It doesn't bother me now though. I guess I'm just old fashioned that I think unmarried women are "Miss" and not "Ma'am."

My old roommate was a waitress and she referred to everyone as "Hon." She said it was something she picked up waitressing and that she didn't do that when she was working other types of jobs.

Honestly, I can only think of one term that would tick me off now. I'm not gonna type it out though. Too nasty. Let's just say it begins with a 'C' and rhymes with punt. That would have me on a rampage. It's like the N-word, it shouldn't be in anyone's vocabulary.

I'm pretty laid back. People are always getting my name wrong. I just correct them and get on with life. I'm used to it.

The only word I can think of that might bug me is babe. Not that I hear that a lot or anything, but like you, Gary, that one seems to be reserved for DH. I'm really bad about calling people (especially kids whose name I don't know) sweetie or honey. No one has ever complained but I should probably be more careful.

Countingdown, funny that you mention Ma'am. I suppose it is a cultural thing, but my children were brought up to call any adult Ma'am or Sir. Same way I was brought up. I've never really given it much thought, it was just drilled into me to do as a sign of respect and even at age 41, I still say it to people of my parents generation. But when we visit DH's family (in Colorado/Oregon) it always amazes me how much they seem to really dislike being called sir or ma'am. Maybe they think it should be reserved for folks of a certain age?

I was raised in the north, and my parents moved to TN 25 years ago. My nieces and nephews have been raised to use Ma'am and Sir. My brother was in the military, and so he is pretty insistent about it. I have learned to tolerate it when I travel south, but up here in northern MI - I still bristle when someone uses the term.

I am never offended when someone calls me sir. I actually do call a lot of younger women....girls...little boys (as in toddlers) sweetie...my own daughter has always been sweetie pie to me....so far no one has ever told me they were offended by that term.

Since knucklehead nephew is NAVY bound and hasn't crossed the equator yet, he is now polliwog around here....that is if he isn't in trouble...if he is I call him something else....wink!

i can't stand it when people call me ma'am. unless the person is very very southern. but even then, it still kind of bothers me if they are older than me (I'm 26). I've gotten more used to it, but it still really annoys me.

Not really a certain age, but culture. My mom was raised in the south and ANYONE that was not familiar to you was called Ma'am or Sir, younger or older, but especially older. I was raised in WY, with the "I'm not that old" attitude. I still raised my daughters to understand that nobody was to young to be treated with respect. After all the mass shootings since the early 80's, I decided that if they learned to respect people, hopefully, they would learn to respect their lives. A waitress in TX told one of my very young DDs that she wasn't old enough to be a Ma'am and my mom came undone. The poor girl was informed that undermining her DDs authority over her children was far more disrespectful. Only time I've ever seen Mom not leave a tip or that openly irate.

As far as how someone refers to me, it's mostly a matter of familiarity. I was also a waitress before I went into construction/mining. If I can't recall a name at the moment or over the radio I tend to revert to Hon, Sweetie and such with my peers. I go to Sir/Ma'am with my bosses.

Me personally, because of the way females are treated(especially in UT and WY), i HATE being called "Girl". Just see the reaction of the guys being called "boy". I pay a mortgage, taxes, bills and all the other things that MEN do, I should be seen and referred to as an ADULT. I'm not out here doing this job to add to my allowance you know. It's not pin money. I support my home and family with my job just like the guys. But, I'm still able to judge the situation and the people involved.

Because my name is Lea, I get called Princess alot(from Star Wars). It's OK unless you are treating me like a princess on the job site. I have always worked as hard and often harder than the men around me and don't appreciate the ussumption that I need special treatment. Never asked for it, don't expect it.

Sorry to go on, but this is a sore spot for me. The women in my family have been been breaking into men's jobs for the last 4 generations. My great-grandma renovated houses, my mom was a postmaster(she was nobody's mistress) and I'm an equipment operator. Some real jerks called Mom a "Quota B***h to her face. Even today, I'm dealing with ridiculous BS that should have been put down 50 years ago. I try not to be sensitive about it, but I'm only human.

As Goldie Hawn said in Private Benjamin: "Don't call me stupid."

Don't call me ******ed, dumb, ignorant, etc. It is really the one thing that will tick me off faster than anything else, even if it's being said jokingly. I will become rather unpleasant to anyone who flips that particular b*tch switch!

I know I'm super sensitive to that because I had an emotionally abusive father who would call me stupid when I was growing up. (He's an alcoholic) So of course it's a big sore spot for me to this day.

Oh, Wow, AppleCheeks, I definately understand that one. A boss I really liked called me a Stupid B***h once, in jest. I told him, very seriously, that I could be a real B***h, but don't ever call me stupid.