Being called sweetheart and petal.

[redruby 279]

A chap serving me in WHSmith at Meadowhall  managed to call me both ‘sweetheart’ and ‘petal’ when buying a few things in there the other day. Well maybe I am a miserable old cow but I found it pretty bleurfghh vomit inducing and sickly sweet patronising coming from a man younger than me.  Had I not been feeling pretty under the weather with a cold I think I might just have walked off and abandoned the stuff I was going to buy and told him where to stuff it. As it is it’s I ended up a bit annoyed and I’m not buying anything in there until the scars of this barf inducing experience have faded🤨. 

I have no objection to being called ‘luv’, that’s just friendly and northern but does anyone else think sweetheart and petal are just too much except from an older person or in a very traditional old fashioned shop.  

[Ramjit 10]

27 minutes ago, redruby said:

A chap serving me in WHSmith at Meadowhall  managed to call me both ‘sweetheart’ and ‘petal’ when buying a few things in there the other day. Well maybe I am a miserable old cow but I found it pretty bleurfghh vomit inducing and sickly sweet patronising coming from a man younger than me.  Had I not been feeling pretty under the weather with a cold I think I might just have walked off and abandoned the stuff I was going to buy and told him where to stuff it. As it is it’s I ended up a bit annoyed and I’m not buying anything in there until the scars of this barf inducing experience have faded🤨. 

I have no objection to being called ‘luv’, that’s just friendly and northern but does anyone else think sweetheart and petal are just too much except from an older person or in a very traditional old fashioned shop.  

Someone is being polite and you feel like telling him to stuff it?

Says more about you than it does about him really.

[Eater Sundae 12]

8 minutes ago, Ramjit said:

Someone is being polite and you feel like telling him to stuff it?

Says more about you than it does about him really.

That’s pretty much how I see it. Comes over a bit patronising, maybe, but well intentioned and absolutely harmless.

 

I will never be offended by someone being nice.

[thorphanger 10]

I think it's lovely when you are called these names.  People in Sheffield call you, love, sweetheart, darling etc.  What is wrong with a bit of kindness and nice name calling.  People aren't being funny it's very much a Yorkshire and Sheffield habit and long may it continue in my opinion.

[Mister M 1,609]

It is a bit sickly sweet, and a bit much. I don't think I'd be offended by it. However as I'm not female I don;t have to face being continually patronised.

[BrexitGuy 0]

I think you must have caught the lad on a good day. Seems fair enough when folk I don't know call me pal, chum or buddy. 

 

[WiseOwl182 10]

1 hour ago, Mister M said:

It is a bit sickly sweet, and a bit much. I don't think I'd be offended by it. However as I'm not female I don;t have to face being continually patronised.

What's gender got to do with it? Is it patronising for a woman to be called sweetheart but not a man?

[RiffRaff 10]

Had to smile at all the above...

I always acknowledged my father as "sir" in any conversation, right up to when I married at 23, and in my first job - at a bank - I was instructed to address any female customers as "madam", even if I knew their names!

How times change!

[Halibut 12]

2 hours ago, Ramjit said:

Someone is being polite and you feel like telling him to stuff it?

Says more about you than it does about him really.

No, it's not being polite. It's over familiar and clearly made the OP uncomfortable. Being polite doesn't involve using terms of endearment such as 'petal' or 'sweetheart'.

[Ramjit 10]

20 minutes ago, Halibut said:

No, it's not being polite. It's over familiar and clearly made the OP uncomfortable. Being polite doesn't involve using terms of endearment such as 'petal' or 'sweetheart'.

Quote

 

Maybe I should complain about the doctors receptionist then. She called me Lovey or maybe I should just accept that people who continually look to be offended will always find something to complain about. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by Ramjit
messed up the quote

[pattricia 574]

You are taking things far too seriously.

[Shafeeq 0]

58 minutes ago, Halibut said:

No, it's not being polite. It's over familiar and clearly made the OP uncomfortable. Being polite doesn't involve using terms of endearment such as 'petal' or 'sweetheart'.

Says who? This is totally subjective.

 

I think we can surely all agree that the assistant's comments were well well-intended, can't we?  The impact of his choice of words will vary upon our personal outlook.

I would like to think the majority of people would not be offended or felt patronised. Each to their own, hey ho.