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.

Well said, my good man.

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 a lot 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

TJ, the Forum Frother.

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?

So both emsz and the lady in the guardian (admittedly small sample size) think it’s sexist versus a bunch of blokes who ride mountain bikes who think it’s alright. hmmm who’s judgement to trust on this issue?

me and my friend kaan call each other babe occasionally, we both have dangly undergardens confirming it as a male-to-male exchange.

HTH babe x

I try and use my own judgement. How is it possible to do otherwise?

I think some bloke called suarez used his own judgement recently but for some reason a term he thought was inoffensive actually DID offend someone. Bizarre

I can think of maybe 2 people who’d call me that, and one is as gay as a window. I get ‘Hun’ slightly ironically from another male friend, and from another (who’s one down from caveman) it could be anything from babe to “Oi pissflaps”. LOL

BUT…I know these people well, if a random bus driver gives it Babe at me, I’m going with my hardest of paddington bear stares 😆

I’ve been dealing with patients for coming up to fifteen years, and part of the art of communication is judging how they would like to be addressed, and adjust my linguistics appropriately. There are plenty of times when a respectful use of Mr/Mrs ‘surname’ is entirely appropriate, but also times when m’dear, owd’un, chap, sweetheart, shug (when in Stoke) etc have all been terms that have been useful in putting a patient at ease in what can often be quite stressful situations. I do have a vague recollection of some sort of instruction about not using colloquial terms to address patients, but I like most of my colleagues would pretty much rather use our common sense and judgment than be told how to talk to people by someone who obviously has far more time on their hands than they probably should have.

In summary; it’s all about context, innit.

Hello Petals

Personally I don’t have an issue with any of these terms of endearment / familiar expressions.

My wife (who is Hungarian) really doesn’t like the West of Scotland habit of calling women “Hen”. She doesn’t think its sexist she just doesn’t like being compared to a chicken!

i german GF likes it when someone calls her “love” or “darling”.

here in germany there aren’t any colloqiual terms that people use to address someone.

no malice is intended by the speaker when they say “love”. i use iot when addressing the train ticket lady, my sister’s friends and the old lady a few doors down.

I don’t like it. From friends or family it’s fine but from people who I don’t know, from someone working for a service which I’m paying to use i.e. buses or anything similar, at work etc, nope dont like it. Basicially anyone else outside of my friends or closest family would probably get a shirty look. Use sir/madam or someones name fgs. I’ve always found it patronising when someone calls me ‘love’ or ‘darlin’. gaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh actually really boils my pee. It’s also very chavy.

if a random bus driver gives it Babe at me, I’m going with my hardest of paddington bear stares

Even if the bus driver is a 60 year old woman?

Even if the bus driver is a 60 year old woman?

Yep

Yep,

it’s just..Arrrghhhhhh. hate it

steve for blokes

donna for birds

its never failed

I’ve always found it patronising when someone calls me ‘love’ or ‘darlin’. gaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh actually really boils my pee. It’s also very chavy.

You were doing well up until you said ‘chavy’. Isn’t that just another demeaning word for a sector of the population?

She doesn’t think its sexist she just doesn’t like being compared to a chicken!

you should tell her it’s short for hen-wife, that’ll cheer her up no end

…and all physios should be called Dave. We’ve got a physio who is actually called Dave, and it confuses him no end.

To be honest if thats all shes got to worry about, a holiday in the tribal areas of Pakistan might be in order to put it all into some perspective.

So both emsz and emma82 and the lady in the guardian (admittedly small sample size) think it’s sexist versus a bunch of blokes who ride mountain bikes who think it’s alright

So, what you’re saying is that the dears should calm down because us fellas are just being nice?

I think you’re right.

I dislike being called ‘Stud’ and ‘Player’. It’s sexist.

Use sir/madam or someones name fgs

As a stalwart believer in correct heraldic address, I find “Sir” deeply offensive as I am neither a Baronet nor a Knight. To assume such a title on me is derogatory to the entire honours system.

Replublicans, marxists and religious extremists may also be offended, since the term derives from “My Lord”

HTH love.