People calling you ‘love’

[FerryYaBerryLa]

Right so I’m late 30s and I feel like this has started happening recently.

I don’t mind it from people much older, but I’ve noticed people younger in their 20s have started to do it, and to be honest it’s pissing me right off 😆

I find it oddly rude tbh. (I know that’s obviously not the intent). Haven’t fully put my finger on it, but feels like it has a patronising, gendered vibe to it.

I feel like it’s the equivalent of calling any man you meet who is 5+ years older than you ‘fella’ or something. ‘You alright fella!’ – weird.

AIBU?

🙄

I like it. I shouldn’t because I’m a rabid feminist but I do. Affectionate and unaffected and I find it reassuring. Shoot me.

😊

www.blackcountrysociety.com/black-country-dialect-a-z

I grew up in 'me duck' country (Derbyshire) and married into 'love' country (Yorkshire) and still revel in hearing both when I'm visiting.

I now live in the south where 'hun' is driving me nuts.

I’m in my late 30s too and I say it as a term of endearment to friends and family (more so in written terms messages than in actual speech, I think) but agree it can come across incredibly patronising in other contexts, especially when said to strangers. I’d never call a stranger ‘love’, personally, I’d only use it in the context of a text saying ‘hi love, hope you’re ok’ or something along those lines.

When I was in Tesco this evening though, two guys in their 60s or so (strangers to each other) accidentally bumped into each other. They laughed and apologised, and one called the other 'bruv'. I liked that

DM calls everyone “love”. 😂

My best one ever, from the land of ‘alright my lover’ , the best city in England, is ‘cheers drive!’

‘Alright butt’, or ‘my nutty’ just over the water in Wales is also great

Butty! Not nutty!

Stoke?

Alright me babber, alright cocker?

You'd hate where I live in a South Yorkshire town. We call everyone love!

It’s ‘thank you, driver!’ in Edinburgh and it always feels so wrong getting a bus anywhere else and not hearing everyone say it!

I work in a shop, and I often say "yes love?" Or "can I help you, my love?"
Sir and madam I reserve for older and more genteel customers.

But I'm in my 50s, so I hope I'm not coming across as patronising to either younger or older people.
I know I hated being called "love" by significantly younger people when I was in my 30s.

Nice mum or Nan-type figure, in a shop, at a bus stop, wherever – lovely!

A 23-year old student serving you at the till – sounds weird and off, irritating. 😂

Bruv is nice.

Don’t get that much, except online occasionally when people assume you’re male!

"Love" is also a London thing… as well as "Darlin'".

A group of girls in my office run around calling each other "Trout". I don't understand that one.

I (overweight fairly tall female) get called "Mate" sometimes when I'm wearing OHs jacket and a wooly hat.

Ohh, I really like being called love, darling, etc. I just think it's nice!

It doesn't bother me. I am from a place where it is normal dialect.

Where I live people don't generally call strangers love, duck, mate etc.

But go 20 mins North and everyone is duck & 20 mins South everyone is bab 😂.

I like it

I feel like I didn’t explain well in my OP – from some people I don’t mind it at all – pretty much anyone the same age-ish (or slightly above) and older –lovely! Friendly and warm, everyday.

From someone 15 years younger than me – offputting.

And I’ve also noticed that it’s just started happening recently (don’t feel like I got it often at 35), which I’ve not quite worked out the meaning of (a younger version of ‘dear’?) but pretty sure I don’t like it 😆

It’s often from students, etc. and I don’t think they’d say it to someone the same age. Soooo…. what’s the deal?

(Also duck, my lover, lovely, etc. – always nice, from whoever!)