In the context my husband and his male family members always use to describe old women. In the car this morning we were behind a really slow driver doing 35 on a national speed limit road. Husband observed patronisingly, "it's probably an old dear". I snapped- he uses it all the time and I've accepted it as a local colloquialism but I don't think I should have to accept everyday sexism just because it's ingrained in regional language. For the purposes of this vote, I'm ignoring him assuming a bad driver is female and just focusing on this term that has always grated on me.
Told him I don't want him calling old women "old dears" anymore, that it's patronising and sexist and he doesn't describe old men that way. Apparently I'm just "angry at the world" as it's a term of endearment.
I said if anyone calls me an "old dear" when I'm old, I'll batter them. AIBU or should I drop it?