Terms of endearment

[Josquius]

I figured something out yesterday. Why a certain girl took a dislike to me when a bunch of us were out drinking last week- in my awesome Englishness I called her pet.
To me this is the done thing. 'Sorry mate' for men, 'sorry pet' for girls. She though being a foreigner (and therefore inferior) didn't get it and just made the assosiation of pet=animal and not pet=petal.

Thinking about this though....there's quite a lot of such terms isn't there?
Of course saying -love is also a common one. I use it myself as a alternative to pet sometimes. But its a little bit condescending I feel so...not often.
And then there's so many more. But they seem to be dying out.
Bonny lad, duck, flower and even pet get used to me by old people. Sort of seems to be some sort of weird Japanesesque status thing.

So. The point.
Is it common to use any such things with you? Or is this a weirdly English (or even northern maybe...) phenomena.

[Syt]

A term of endearment in Low German is "Schietbüdel" which translates to High German "Scheißbeutel" or "shit bag".

[charliebear]

She though being a foreigner (and therefore inferior) didn't get it and just made the assosiation of pet=animal and not pet=petal.

To be honest, I didn't know this.  I, too, would have made the association of pet = animal. 

My rule of thumb is that if you don't mean it, don't say it.  Example, don't call me "love" unless I am your love.  Gentle terms are ok, though.

[grumbler]

Agree with CB that you need to reserve your slang for the people whom you are sure will understand it, especially slang words that have different common-use meanings, like "love," "pet," or "duck."  That your female drinking buddy misunderstood the word "pet" for the word "pet" is unsurprising, and I think slang like that depends absolutely on everyone sharing the same frame of reference - which holds less and less true as the world becomes smaller.

[charliebear]

Agree with CB that you need to reserve your slang for the people whom you are sure will understand it, especially slang words that have different common-use meanings, like "love," "pet," or "duck."  That your female drinking buddy misunderstood the word "pet" for the word "pet" is unsurprising, and I think slang like that depends absolutely on everyone sharing the same frame of reference - which holds less and less true as the world becomes smaller.

"Duck?"  You'd better duck if you called me that.

[Valmy]

British women have always called me 'love' on the internet...except Brazen...

[garbon]

British women have always called me 'love' on the internet...except Brazen...

I just get x's.

[charliebear]

British women have always called me 'love' on the internet...except Brazen...

I just get x's.

That's good, too.  Isn't it?

[Caliga]

I liked the part where Debra Winger died.

[charliebear]

Thanks, Cal.  I never saw that movie.  Guess I don't need to now.

[Richard Hakluyt]

"Pet" didn't even use to be used just for females. It is a term of endearment but is also used as a diminutive. So, back in my coal-mining days in the 1970s, if a guy was more than 25 years or so older than me he could call me "pet" without offense.

I wouldn't use it myself, it doesn't sound right as I have a southern accent. Also, you should certainly not use it outside the North-East of England, people could easily take offence.

The women at Preston market still use endearments when I go there to buy fruit and veg. "My darling" and "my sweet" are the most common terms there.

I rather like these old-fashioned dialect uses myself. But they belong to an age that is dying away 

As I've said before, my grandparents spoke in dialect, my parents had NE accents and I speak a kind of neutral English English (with a noticeable increase of American and other usages creeping in). It is sad in some ways to see the old cultures dying away as things become more global, OTOH I would have hated living in a tight little coal-mining village all my life so things are really much better in general.

[charliebear]

I liked the part where Debra Winger died.

I havn't seen Titanic, either.  Don't tell me how it ends.   

[Eochaid]

As I've said before, my grandparents spoke in dialect, my parents had NE accents and I speak a kind of neutral English English (with a noticeable increase of American and other usages creeping in). It is sad in some ways to see the old cultures dying away as things become more global, OTOH I would have hated living in a tight little coal-mining village all my life so things are really much better in general.

I'm Southern English and, when in the UK, routinely use mate for guys and love for girls (as in: Cheers mate/love!)

I also often use Gorgeous for female friends (as in "Hey Gorgeous, how are you today!)

Kevin

[charliebear]

I also often use Gorgeous for female friends (as in "Hey Gorgeous, how are you today!)

Kevin

You can call me "gorgeous" any time.

[Queequeg]

I call everyone I know by a pet porno name; sugartits, manlove, hotgay, etc...

I wish I was making this up.