Thursday, September 01, 2005

Unless your name is Flo

Am I alone in feeling utter irritation at random people calling others "Sweetie" or "Honey"? I deal with people on the phone all day at work and every day I am inevitably referred to by one of these annoying, pedestrian, condescending names, always by another woman. I even work with a woman who addresses many people by these names (usually Sweetie) and she is only a year older than me. Is it intellectual laziness? Hell, that's not even intellectual. How hard is it to use someone's name? One time I got so ticked off on the phone at a woman who repeatedly addressed me as "Honey" that I called her "Dollface". Psychologically, economically, what do you think the reasons could be for this way of addressing another adult? It doesn't bother me as much if I'm in a diner and it's a waitress (thank you very much Polly Holliday), but in a business setting?

3 comments:

Marc said...

A week and a half ago I was called Honey at the Avis Rental Car location in downtown Los Angeles. It was very hilarious as the guy behind the counter was in the midst of a conversation with us about where he could be cheap property (you know, a 4000 square foot house) not too far from NYC.

Wisdom Weasel said...

Everyone up here in Maine uses the unisex "deaahh" (dear) regardless of age or social station. Then again, everyone up here thinks its ok to wear LL Bean hunting shoes to a wedding.

Listmaker said...

i'd rather be called honey than "chief" or "buddy."

whatever you do, don't move to baltimore, hon.