Is it strange for a male colleague to call you princess ?

[justaquestion2021]

Just that really. I'm not overly fussed personally. Colleague is perfectly respectful. Just wanted to throw it out there and see what people think !

Another vote for sexist and infantilising.

I have a colleague who used to refer to women (as a group) as 'darlings', as in 'we have a meeting with only 2 darlings'.

I used to call a Male colleague princes. It was 100% an insult but he was also a very good friend and would give it as much as he got ( often worse he is an absolute shit stirrer). I think it depends on tone ect.

Yes it's strange the bloody cheek of him.

My husband has a female colleague he calls by a nickname even on company emails and she is in his phone under her nickname.

I recently had similar conversation with him that I thought this was overfamiliar slightly patronising.

He's mid 50 s she is mid 30s

His response was he calls everyone he works with by a nickname.

@emilyfrost

I don’t see the problem with it Wouldn’t bother me at all.

People are too offended these days.

Perhaps we can call anyone whatever we want them... ok bitch?

(Hey wait, didn't you know bitch was being reclaimed by feminists...)

@DeathAndTaxis

I think it's sexist and infantilising.

Yes, me too! I would not like it.

There are some regional terms which are used for both sexes, e.g. ‘me duck’ or ‘duckie’ in Derbyshire and north Notts.

Tbf, I doubt that princess is one of them, and I agree it is sexist.

However, if it is a regional thing and the colleague grew up hearing it used to all women, then he may not be being sleazy in the same way as he would be if he was singling the OP out. Then the course of action is one of gentle education rather than calling him out, I suggest.

@speakout

I recently spoke to a customer services agent at Talk Talk, he kept calling me sweetheart.

How unprofessional. That would have pissed me off. I even get annoyed when they use my name. Overly familiar at the very least.

Wait til you hear what my previous boss, current doctor and long-term dentist call me! I just found it funny the first time and it is the only thing they say in a - to me - friendly way. They just use this one term and it actually makes me smile every time.

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest. People where I live are often referred to as love, mate, girl and lad and I don't see a problem although I know many on here would get annoyed. I'd never police others' priorities but to me complaining about it is middle-class feminism.

Wouldn't bother me either, but I live in an area where it's very common to use terms of endearment to pretty much everyone. The woman in our local shop is hilarious - DH and I sometimes take it in turns to go in and see how many we can get from her in the one transaction. I got 7 yesterday: sweetheart, ma darlin', honey, doll, petal, chicken and another ma darlin' at the end.

They start young here too. Last month I pulled my dogs in to the side of the pavement to let a wee boy cycle past. He was about 8 and said "thanks love"! 😂

My old workplace was similar. Mate, pal, doll, lovey etc were used interchangeably.

I would find that extremely weird

I had a boss who called me kitten when I was a teenager and he eventually fired me when I turned him down.

I would hate this. But then I am still furious that a colleague last week began an email to myself and three other professionals ‘Hello ladies’ so I may not be the most tolerant about this sort of thing.

For me this would depend on the person and the context. I don't mind people who use endearments like this at all, in fact I generally find it quite endearing. So if this was that sort of person and the situation wasn't weird or embarrassing it would be fine by me.

But if it was a creepy person trying to put the moves on, or in a setting like a client meeting where it seemed to pick me out in a patronising way, I wouldn't like it. Though with the latter, if I thought it was just an oversight, I'd probably just mention it rather than get ticked off.

I still chuckle when I remember one of my colleagues who must have had some kind of absent-minded moment and thought he was talking to his wife. He said “Thanks, love. I mean, thanks.”

We were both in our mid twenties.