Wednesday, January 27, 2010

My #1 Pet Peeve of all Time!

I am not your "dear".  I am not your "sweetie".  I am not your "honey".  Unless, of course, you know me personally...and then I am.

This is something that has bugged me since my days at the bank.  Someone would call me "honey" over the speaker in the drive-up.  I would promptly turn off the speaker and say "I am not your honey!"  It happens at my current job, too.  I answer the majority of the phone calls and talk to hundreds of strangers.  Some of them, whom I have never met and even some who I have but only associate with on a professional level as an employee of their property manager, seem to think it's okay to call me "my dear" or "sweetie" or "honey".  IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!!!!!  I don't know you, therefore a term of endearment is totally inappropriate!  If you don't know what to call me, ask my name.  You may call me Angela.  Heck, you can call me Angie if you want.  (I haven't punched anyone for calling me that in over 25 years.)  Call me Ma'am.  Or Miss.  I don't care.  Just don't call me late for dinner.  I don't know why this bugs me so much, but it does. 

/rant

Just remember, though..."You may only call me 'Mrs. Darcy' when you are completely, and perfectly, and incandescently happy."

3 comments:

katina said...

You know what's funny...I love it when people call me honey or sweetie. My personal favorite is doll. Especially when it comes from an old man...I think I might give a weird look to a lady who called me doll, but I still might like it. Personally, I think it's cute. But I understand why you (and other people) don't like it. Everytime someone calls you honey, you can email me and call me honey for them...then I will smile and think that I look cute because someone called me honey. :0)

Holly said...

I'm in the middle on this one. I don't really like it, but since it's such a huge cultural thing for some people (think southern) that I try to let it go. I try not to let it get to me, even though it often comes across and a little condescending, because I doubt that's how it's intended. What does bother me is when someone younger than me says something like that to me. I'm not that old, but a thirty year old does not want to hear "honey" from a twenty year old.

Susan said...

I'm guilty of using sweetie and honey but only with little kids. I would never dream using it when talking with adults.