Hello Mate

Being old I would have found it very offensive to be called mate by a salesperson. I don't mind 'luv' or 'duck' but don't like darling. This person would have been too familiar for my liking and I would have gone to a different shop.

I am so guilty of using endearments, darlin, lock me up and throw away the key! It's just so ingrained in me, I have to make it a point not to do it in some situations. I do it in nearly every response I make here and in every comment I put under the responses too. I know some people don't like it, but I don't think too many of them respond to my discussions or responses. And the rest of you sweetly tolerate this little irritation of mine, bless each and every one of your hearts. For me, being called ma'am can be a bit grating and miss isn't a favorite either. I usually just use "excuse me" and don't add Mister or Miss or whatever. Sometimes I use 'mister' and I seem to get some odd looks when I do, which is probably why I do it. And that is my answer, babydoll.......

I don't like people calling me mate or bab. I don't like "mate" for two reasons. One because I feel it is more of a bloke expression and another because someone calling me "mate" is probably not one. Although, if they are then I don't mind. I have mostly friends or acquaintaces and only consider 2 or 3 people as mates. And I don't like "bab" because it's over used around here. It's really strange when a 16 year old calls an older person bab. It's just a common one around here!

My hubby calls me duckie or duck, which I do not mind, as I love him so he is allowed to. But duck or duckie is the word around my part and I remember when I first moved here and people would call me duck and I would just look at them and think why are you calling me duck, what am I shaped like one, and feathery. It always grates on my nerves when other people call me duck, or duckie, especially women, I hate it. Yes I have been called mate a few times in shops, I just give them one of my stares or glares, oh and I tell you the other word that really winds me up and that is when someone calls me love, I hate it, for some reason it always sounds so patronising. You alright love, can I help you love, anything else love!!!

Theone that totally gripes me is dude yakety yakety dude can I help you and I want to shout look at me I am a woman not a dude so do not use that term with me. Also people who say to me and my son You guys now I am far from being a guy. But theonethat really blows my cork is Girl Iam an elderly woman who has not been a girl for a long time so when a reference libarain called me one of the girlswho will help you I did tell him I am not a girl do not use that term again thank you. none of us were young enough to be considered girls.

these greetings can sometimes irk you ..granted...im afraid to say im not a fan of being called `Love`...but here in the midlands ..Duck..or Ducky..is a favourite greeting that everyone uses!!...im not a big fan of them....but they belong to the area i nn which i live...so to complain would be a wee bit churlish!!! When we first moved here it was very difficult to get used to!! Another thing that was funny when we first moved was the name used for bread rolls!!!...i went in and said about bread rolls ...to which they said...you mean cobs??!!..... The one thing i wouldnt ever ever get used to is the slang term they use for their wife....maybe you have heard it..but they often call their wives...wait for it...GERT!!!!!.....now where the heck did that one come from??????

I do get quite cross when someone who I don't know calls me by my first name, I had that happen the other day. Some random bloke rang me and said, "hello, is that 'Dory'", I said, "yes" and assumed he either knew me or that he'd seen one of my adverts for my business and wanted to book a party, I wouldn't have minded so much if it was either of those things, but he wanted to sell me insurance, so I was quite cross. I did one day have someone ring me and say, "is that 'Dory'" and I said, "well, this IS 'Miss Panda'" and made a point of letting them know that I wanted to be referred to by my surname. One of my nephews seems to hate being called sweetheart for some reason, I call him sweetheart because I forget he doesn't like it and he gets annoyed and tells me off. Oh, I also get a bit annoyed when people who are younger than me call me bab.

lady. HEY LADY. . lol i dont look like a lady.. i'm still a gal! lol. i dunno it just makes me feel old. . i'd perfere miss. or mrs. . Did the guy have an accent ? mate is used frequently in other countries, maybe he just didnt know any better ;)

You probably wouldn't like Australia then because they say "mate" all the time LOL Umm I don't think there is any term that bothers me actually.

That's quite amusing as I don't mind being called "mate" by friends or colleagues but would find it overly familiar like you do if someone in a shop said that to me. I have Aussie and Kiwi colleagues who use "mate" all the time and I use "hun" and "sweetie" quite often but only with people that I know well enough that won't take it the wrong way. Personally the thing that grates most is being called "Ma'am" or "Madam" in a shop. I would rather someone just said "Can I help you?" than add either of those words on the end, it just makes me feel 80 for some reason and I have 40 years to get to that lovely age LOL! When I visit India I get called ma'am or madam a lot and it really grates but I have to grit my teeth and bear it as that's the culture over there in the service industry and people would be upset if I said "Don't call me that!"

I've noticed someone has already stated this, but here in Australia, 'mate' is quite a common form of greeting, only it is more often 'G'day Mate'. I know I have used it a fair bit, both with people I know, and with some I've never met. I can't say I'm fond of the use of it from women to women though, just doesn't sound right.

There are not really any names that bother me anymore. When I moved from Ohio to Mississippi it took me forever to get used to the way people talk to you. Everyone calls everyone else; honey, babe, baby, sugar, sweetie, darlin'... It used to bug me to no end! Then there is the Ma'am. I was like 21 when I moved there, I didn't want people calling me that! They also call you Miss (your firstname) or Mr. (firstname). Now I live in New Jersey and I miss how much nicer people were down there! People up here are downright rude!

I dislike the C word... that's about the only word I refuse to say and it makes my skin crawl when I hear it. I was called "Darling" once while in bed with a lover. I almost peed myself laughing. Does that mean that name irks me some? lol. Oh! I know a word that drives me batty.... "SOULMATE". It's a major trigger for me because of the common usage of it from people having extramarital affairs. More often than not, the ones in the affairs refer to their lovers as their "soulmate". It just makes me ill. It doesn't help that I don't think we each have only one soulmate... I believe we have many in this world; it's just a matter of finding one.

Oh i understand !! There are times when you walk into a store and you're the kind of a person who is not too outgoing about everything.I mean I'm ok with a salesperson trying to be nice and casual with me but there has to a line drawn when it comes to catering to customers.. The word that puts me off with strangers is honey..I have nothing against the word it's just taht it puts me off completely!!!And at these times i make it a point to let teh person taht I don't appreciate being called by such names and I have been fortunate enough I must say that my requests have always been heeded for.

My name is Rosie, when people call me Rose or Rosa, it irritates me. My name is not hard to say and I consider it disrespectful when someone calls me anything else, especially, after I have already corrected them. One of my doctor's calls me babe and that is rather annoying, but I do not think that he means anything by it, he says it to all the females. So I just grin and bear it.

I don't like to be called "ma'am" makes me feel old. Well, I am old now I guess, but still.... I HATE when I someplace like a hospital and they call me Mrs. - I've worked hard to stay single ya now. I can't tell you how many men I've run off in my youth - 4 or 5 anyway....

First, I like the word "niggles". :)LOL...oh the British... I don't really have a name that grates for the most part. If someone says dear or sweetie in a condescending fashion then I get a little peeved but other than that, I let lots of things go.

I think that professional people should address you properly. Using a slang term is not professional. She should have said, something similar to, "How may I help you?" or "What can I help you find?" Leave off the slang. It grates on me also.

Yes . I think it happens to many bodies . I have the similar situation . I`m Chinese ; my name is Wang Xiaoqing . You know , in China one`s family name is in the front of his name and my first name is Xiaoqing . There is a famous actress called Liu Xiaoqing . So some people who don`t see me before reading my name often consider me a girl . It`s so embarrassed !

Over-familiar salespeople bug me a little. They're too pushy. Once, when I was shopping for furniture, the person followed me around the store the whole time, and I must admit it was a bit unnerving. I think there were too many people working there and not enough customers.