[Closed] Dont call me Babe.

[i]like Hoveactually[/i]

There's a Greggs on George Street now 🙁

see the thing is the male ones are fairly neutral mate, guvnor etc but the female ones have some sort of vaguely sexual or overfriendly connotation- ie terms used between people in a relationship

Except that a woman serving a man in a shop could also use duck, love etc. The only one in the list that is woman-specific is "hen", which doesn't seem that much worse than "mate" tbh.

Isn't "Shug" short for Sugar?

Don't the Scots call someone Shug if their real name is Hugh?

Seems bizarre to me like they forgot how the letters go together

Been called bruv a few times recently by adolescent shop staff. I find it a bit weird but I'd rather they keep some sense of personality than be forced to adhere to corporate guidelines on how to talk to people.

Like Suge Knight (fat gangster/record label boss) is apparently pronounced Shug?

piss off don

I rather that the ground swallowed me whole than talk to some random!!

If your job involves talking to people all day, you tend to use more terms like these as a matter of course. It's important not to be desperate to be offended.

see the thing is the male ones are fairly neutral mate, guvnor etc but the female ones have some sort of vaguely sexual or overfriendly connotation- ie terms used between people in a relationship

Regional thing maybe, but I've been called love, sweetheart, darling, honey and even babe.

I don't use 'love'. My dad does and it makes me wince a bit.

However, it has never occurred to me that calling someone 'mate' could in anyway cause offense.

jota180

Don't the Scots call someone Shug if their real name is Hugh?

Yup- and Senga for Agnes

Not sure that anyone is offended by mate, just sometimes it seems like false over-familiarity whilst not actually being that friendly. Not always though.

Yup- and Senga for Agnes

that's definitely just mixing the letters up

What do you think mate?

not mixed up - just reversed squire

Oh - and George is Dods, Gogs or Doddie

not mixed up - just reversed squire

I was referring to the Shug one as well pal

With muppetWrangler on this one - let people retain some sort of individuality. It's much more interesting than 'Sir' ... 'Have a nice day'. When did I get knighted and why should I adhere to your instructions?

I can't see why this is indicative of class - only poor people use the bus anyway. Anyone who uses public transport has failed - Thatcher said so.

I think Ikea had to drop their Tnuc range of shelving for the Scottish market?

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What about chief, boss, chief. Anyone offended by that?

In this area of the North Wales coast lads call each other "Bud" and the girls call everyone "Hon". When I moved back here from That London a few years ago I couldn't get my head around it, it's like they've all been taken over by extras from The Dukes of hazzard or Thelma and Louise.

Just checked with the Missus (working class council social worker) and they have no guidelines outlining what is or isn't appropriate, other than the usual respectful, non-racist, non-sexist stuff.

exactly Druidh - which precludes the use of "babe" " love" etc.

I'm guessing here but maybe because she doesn't like being judged on her looks (as women often are)?

We're all judged on our looks, it's inherent in human nature and not necessarily a bad thing (or a good thing), however if "judged" and someone still responds positively, what's the problem? If they said "Alright ugly" I could see the offence caused, I don't see how people find "alright babe" offensive unless they're completely screwed up and take it as a sarcastic greeting.

The problem is with the recipient argument, hmmm.... so if someone yelled racist abuse in the street, the problem is with the recipient? (and no I'm not equating saying 'love' with racist abuse, for the hard of thinking).

I see where you're coming from, but again, that's in the context and tone of delivery. Everyone (OK not everyone it seems, but I'd have thought it common in human capability!) can judge if someone is being offensive on purpose or patronising, or belittling, or outright abusive. When I walk down the street and hear someone yell "alright N******" to a friend I don't automatically swing around and assume someone is being racist and offensive towards someone else, I can see it's a pleasant greeting between two folk, as can the recipient. Some words are outright offensive, these are called insults and as such context doesn't really help except in the case of very familiar friends who can use horrific insults as a term of endearment. And that kinda makes my point I think. It's all in how you read it and how it's intended, not what's delivered.

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exactly Druidh - which precludes the use of "babe" " love" etc.

Eh? How does "babe" or "love" qualify as disrespectful, racist or sexist?

Oim considerably more working class than yow!

non-sexist stuff.

*I'd have thought possibly borderline depending on who, where and how it's used

exactly Druidh - which precludes the use of "babe" " love" etc.

Neither are sexist. Neither discriminate against anyone.

Does anyone else see the irony here? McBoo and others getting all worked up complaining about someone who made a gentle complaint to a bus company and then commented how it had been blown out of proportion. I can almost here the indignant frothing from McBoo from here. what double standards " its PC gone mad" McBoo - you are blowing this out of all proportion

He is not really though it he, he has just posted on a mountain biking site hoping for some mildly diverting discourse to make up for a slack day at work because the markets are moribund. I imagine many post on this forum for a similar reason, I appreciate your motives may be different.

I imagine many post on this forum for a similar reason, I appreciate your motives may be different.

so if babe is not sexist* just wondering what is.

I'm guessing "sugartits" would probably fall outside the bounds of acceptability. I'm not sure "babe" would be very professional, although I guess it would depend [b]a lot[/b] on context - a female social worker talking to an elderly woman in a home is a lot different to a policeman to a 20 year old girl on the street.

I concur with don simon, a succinct and positive addition by mefty there.

Mefy, good sir, may I doff my hat in your direction for such a fine, succinct piece of posting? Most pithy.

There are lots of regional colloquialisms that are dependent on location as well as context. When I was younger, 'cock' and cocker where both used to describe young men..

Thank god I've never actually met anyone in person who would get wound up by a word genuinely said in friendship.

The very idea is baffling and says more about the recipient than it does the person who said it... bruv

coffeeking - think you'd feel differently if you were a woman, women are far more judged on looks than men.

He is not really though it he, he has just posted on a mountain biking site hoping for some mildly diverting discourse to make up for a slack day at work because the markets are moribund. I imagine many post on this forum for a similar reason, I appreciate your motives may be different.

And all she did was send a quick email to the bus company. The tone of many on here is far more frothing at the mouth than she was.

women are far more judged on looks than men.

Mostly by other women.

And all she did was send a quick email to the bus company. The tone of many on here is far more frothing at the mouth than she was.

That's cos we've got TJ, the Forum Frother.

Edit: which is a good thing, be boring otherwise 🙂

innit bruv!

dis thred is bare jokes

[i]TJ, the Forum Frother.[/i]

A lovely sobriquet 🙂

you'd feel differently if you were a woman

IME they don't mind babe, love, darling etc.
They tend to object to 'mama' though 🙂

Sorry, but 'babe' is massively sexist IMO

it feels and sounds like such a put-down

I prefer "treacle tits" when dealing with females and "butch" for males...

Barely anyone complains and if they do I curl up in a ball on the floor right in front of them and wail loudly; they seldom take it any further when they think they've upset a mental...

It's a rite of passage. The day when folk stop calling you "son" and start calling you "mate".

Should we instead graduate from "Master" to "Sir" or "M'Lord"?

Perhaps briefly via "Esquire".

I'm not particularly worked up or frothing thanks Teej, all is Zen here at the pumping heart of global capitalism.

We're having a wigwam built on the roof for the summer, going to be green-tea chillax heaven.

*is a little surprised we've got this far into the thread and nobody has suggested greeting people with a gentle boob rub*

I agree with the rite of passage; schoolboys used to say 'Oi mate', then one day they start saying 'Excuse me Mister' when ball retrieval is required.

Sorry, but 'babe' is massively sexist IMO

But it's used man-to-woman, woman-to-man and woman-to-woman.
The only combination I haven't heard is man-to-man, and I'm sure that's just because of my sheltered life.

How can that be massively sexist?