JFF: Hate Nicknames

I'm mixed on nicknames. I had a friend (girl) in High School who called me "sweetie" and another (a gay guy) who called me "girlie/girlfriend". My tire guy calls me "little lady" which seems old fashioned and fun. Another group of friends gave me the nickname Lala (which stemmed out of people not knowing what to call me b/c I had changed my name and they were both L's). But all these are situation- or group-specific and endearing because it's people you like.

I accept "honey" or "baby" or "babe" from DH (only) but mostly b/c it's just easy. I'd prefer just Lynds which is my name, but when you are that close to someone mixing it up is more interesting.

What I really HATE is when strangers like waitresses or retail counter people call me "hun" or "dear" or "sweetie". Usually these people are my age or barely older than me and it seems demeaning. If the person was a cute old lady or something I think I'd forgive it as being old fashioned (like above).

However, all bets are off when it comes to my step-daughter. She has TONS of nicknames: baby bear, monster, Z, z-girl, squirmy, monstruita (little monster in Spanish), kiddo...etc. haha!

Added: and along the lines of cutesy pet names my DH and I also do that. We're stuck on Stinky right now and I have NO idea how that happened. LOL

I seem to get nicknames at work.

@ a previous workplace, I had the nickname of "Boo" (like from "Monsters Inc.")

@ the place I work now, it's "Velma" or "Pebbles"

Not sure how I get the cartoon nicknames, but it really doesn't bother me a bit.

ETA- My son's nicknames are Boog or Booger.
He got this nickname because he's a booger and full of them sometimes.

My daughter's nicknames are Mickey/Mickey Mouse, Mika, or Snots.
She earned the Snots when she began to have seasonal allergy attacks and went through 1/2 a box of Kleenex. She gets sneezing fits about once a day in the spring [as well as nose bleeds] and fall [no nose bleeds].

My favorite is when I'm calling to both kids, "Come on Boog 'n Snots!"

I just let it roll off my back if people call me sweetie, honey, hun..etc., because most of the time it's just the way they talk, and they do it to lots of people. However, if the guy calling me "babe" is checking me out or doing something inappropriate..well, in that case my dead glare can move mountains.

I've never had a nickname otherwise..none that ever stuck anyway. But my husband and I get into non-serious competitions to top each other in the pet name category. Currently I am Poopykins.

I dont tolerate being called "mandy"

But i will pretty much be fine with any other cutesy one

Listen here little girl....someone actually said that to me. Can't even remember what the conversation was about, just know that him saying that set me off. I don't think he thought I was so little when I was in his face.

Baby...makes me gag when some random guy calls me that.

If a younger person calls me honey, or sweetie or something along those lines, I bristle a bit. But it's ok if an older person does. Is that weird?

I think nicknames are awesome! I have so many for my family! quirky I know LOL! I don't like someone calling me hon that's my own age and doesn't know me. I agree...I routinely call my DH Hon or Honey. We have a very good relationship so it doesn't seem artificial to me when he does.

Honestly, it depends on who it comes from. I don't mind if a sweet elderly person calls me sweetie or honey, and it's considered pretty normal the Southern states, so I don't mind it from a Southern person.

But from most others...it's just weird.

Huge fan of nicknames as long as they are meaningful and not generic.

Mine from growing up to now...Smellie Mellie (only cause it ryhmes), MellieB, many others and A. Mel Mel.

If a man other than my husband calls me sweetie, honey, babe, etc. that's not a nickname, that's just plain ole condescending in my book.

My childhood nickname is actually LeeLee, hence my screen name here :) No one but my family really calls me this or knows it.

Added: Okay, Luna, that is too funny about the sickly sweet pet names w/ hubby; we do that, too! My current one for my husband is Babesy. Funny thing is, although they are created to be so grossly "sweet" at the time, they often stick and become part of our vernacular hahaha

yeah with you on the cutsie nicknames... I like my own or one I approve of. as a younger person and still with certain people I was Marfee, Marthy, and M.. I didnt care about that. I hated the bad ones like Bertha, and Smurfee Murphee. ARGH would go into a tizzy. I got chicken pox as a kid 3 times and my older sister called me chicken poop for the LONGEST time and shes the ONLY one that can all me that.
My husband loves to name my kids all sorts of names and they have so far stuck
I only call my husband Honey or babe when i am mad or when he is mad at me, cause like to cause him further pain. Otherwise its his name or a shortened version of it since he is Indian and its hard to say it. He only calls me my name or WIFE and that bugs me to no end but I put up with it since he is my significant other.
My oldest is Snoogli Moogli
my second is Squeezu
and my third is Ro Ro or Natoose depending who it is doing the name calling.

My handicapped husband is in the bathroom usually when workers arrive to fix the house. I mention my husband will be out later to let them know he is here. There is one man who keeps calling me honey, etc... I hang up on him when he calls until he uses MY NAME. Still, he can't help using the sweet terms and it offends me. I like his boss a lot and have casually mentioned how I know the guy is just friendly, not freaky, but it really pisses me off. I am an educated woman, not some tart, as the old neighbor lady says.

I think it would be weird for a guy I'm *not* in love with to call me those pet names. So I'm with you. Yuck.

(The guy I am in love with -- my husband -- calls me sweetie, and I like it.)

It depends on how it is used. I don't mind nicknames unless it is demeaning in someway. I won't be called a "b*t**" without fighting back of course but also some of those times when a man says "honey" or "dear" in a context that they are putting themselves in an authority position will get me on the fight too. Most are well meaning and is upbeat so I don't mind that at all.

My ex boyfriend use to call me doll, and I liked it because it was different from the original nick names. Honestly, I kind of miss it a little bit, but that is okay! My husband does not have any nick names for me which is fine too!