Do you mind male strangers calling you “love” or “darling”?

[Buzyizzy217]

Does it irritate you when complete male strangers call you by a term of endearment, like “love” or “darling”?
To answer the obvious question, yes, it does me and I tell them not to do it. Just curious.

It’s nothing to do with me really, it’s just how they speak. I’m glad they are speaking in a warm way, daily.

No it doesn't bother me, if anything i consider it endearing. I don't think it reflects sexism or misogyny either. Of all the wrongs in the world I can't imagine focusing on this one. If used by a man in a patronising manner then yes I don't like it, but what I'm not liking is the tone and context not the words used. If a man spoke to me in this manner without a term of endearment I would still have the same issue

I like it.

So English. (Don't live there).

I do feel that there should be some sort of emoji to express “it is entirely possible to have views on issues of many sizes. Just because I think that random men calling me “love” is a byproduct of misogyny does not mean I think that it’s of more, or even similar important as women’s reproductive rights and the gender pay gap”

I remember women used to call each other meduck, ducks, my darling or just darling, in Exactly the same vein that men still do sometimes. It was lovely. I miss it.

Don't mind being called love or darling, but if anyone ever calls me 'dear' I'll lump them one.

This is such a Mumsnet trope-that men in the North routinely call each other “love” (I suggest trying it in a Leeds pub!) and that “cunt” is a term of affection among all social groups, ages and sexes and in all situations in Glasgow.

Yes, which is why I also said ‘the bloke delivering my shopping’ (stranger & male) or the woman who does my hair (stranger & female).

So, if a female stranger calls me ‘love’ it’s not misogyny?

I thought male equivalent would be mate

oi mate - watch out
there you go mate
thanks mate

IL claim me duck is used for men - and FIL been called me duck - but he found it endearing and trigger reminiscence for him- so assume it'd died out and I tend to hear mate even where they live.

It's a term used someone who name you do not know but are addressing informally and friendly way (usually not always)- not sure why it's so along gendered lines or why woman's version seem to have such huge geographical varriation.

Maybe there are male variations - oi pal seems more hostile to me - chap seems very jeeves and wooster - lad would seem more older to very young boy. I don't know if there are any.

Internet seems to be claiming mate it increasingly used for women as men but I've just not come across that in RL at all yet.

Duck, love, flower, Bab, lovely, depending on location and persons origin, all fine. Not so keen on darling.

Not at all. I call people love all the time, I’m from Leeds and most people do it.

Had a lovely colleague from NE who called everyone flower. It stuck. Both my kids answer to flower (ds, dd)

Depends a bit on context and tone but I'm usually ok being called love. Less keen on darling.

I can’t tell you how much I hate this.

Me too.

Nope. Love/Darlin all fine with me.

Though I am an Australian, so "mate" is more usual.

Or as I appear to now spend a lot of time with young men due to my job I get called "bro" a lot. 😁

It is all in the delivery and intent.

not really, I’m from london, so it was basically everywhere growing up..

Nope, I don't remotely mind. Londoners say it as well as Northerners. One girl at work from Essex calls absolutely everyone "flower". My partner's parents are from Yorkshire, and call everyone "love". They're terms of endearment. They aren't meant to offend.

No- I'm in Yorkshire and it's fine
I used to pretend to be upset by it in my twenties- how insufferable was I?!