Perhaps I Am Not The Right Person To Ask This Given My Track Record Amongst Some Of Our Female Abers But Here Goes, Is It Condescending Or Even Sexist To Address A Female As Love?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2984961/Don-t-call-love-Tory-Nicky-Morgan-slams-Labour-star-condescending-jibe-heated-Commons-debate.html

[-Talbot-]

My kids sometimes call me mate, I don't see anything wrong with it, in fact I think it's quite endearing. Although I would never have called my father 'mate'

[retrocop]

An elderly character I know has the habit of calling ladies,especially young ones, "my little treacle"
Should he address the Honourable Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington as such the outcome would be too dreadful to contemplate. :-)

[Gromit]

Where I live it is a colloquialism to call each other love. Very natural and not condescending and everyone does it.

I guess it is a regional difference.

[andy-hughes]

Gromit - // Where I live it is a colloquialism to call each other love. Very natural and not condescending and everyone does it.

I guess it is a regional difference. //

As I posted, it is al about time and place.

Prince Charles no doubt calls his mother 'Mother', or maybe even 'Mummy' behind closed doors, but in public she is referred to as 'Her Majesty' or 'The Queen' - because that is due respect and protocol.

Referring to a fellow MP as 'love' within the Commons is disrespectful, because of the venue and the circumstances, and that is what the issue is all about.

Mr Cameron was forced to 'massively apologise' for his careless humourous reference to a line in a TV ad - down the pub, no problem, in the House, no go.

It's not difficult, it's the sort of protocol you master as an adult, and certainly as an MP.

[sp1814]

andy_hughes

You wrote:

"Mr Cameron was forced to 'massively apologise' for his careless humourous reference to a line in a TV ad"

What was that story?

[jim360]

That was the "calm down dear" thing, I suppose.

[DTCwordfan]

It's me 'ansome and me luvver down here - a question of tone, yes, but I would also add context too.

[andy-hughes]

sp1814 - // andy_hughes

You wrote:

"Mr Cameron was forced to 'massively apologise' for his careless humourous reference to a line in a TV ad"

What was that story? //

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/02/david-cameron-sorry-female-mps

Here it is.

[Jennykenny]

Yes.

[Kathyan]

It's getting to the stage where we won't be able to speak to anyone because someone else takes offence at anything and everything.

[whirlyhurly]

Oh what's in a name ? "The meanest dog can be called Prince"

[zebo]

Being called "love" was how we knew we'd landed back at Manchester Airport!

[Retrochic]

Its context not content. Like in the olden days when children were expected to call their elders Mr. or Mrs. I was 16 before I was allowed to call one of our neighbours Jane instead of Mrs smith (names have been changed to protect the innocent) I don't mind a jot being called 'flower' or 'love' by tradesmen or shopkeepers -but I would certainly have something to say to my accountant if he addressed me in such a way!

[chaptazbru2]

Doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[andy-hughes]

chaptazbru2 - //Doesn't bother me in the slightest. //

It doesn't bother me either, but if I was a female MP and I was addressed with that term by a male MP in the House, during a debate, it would bother me considerably!

[sp1814]

Thanks andy_hughes. I'd completely forgotten that story about Cameron.

[chaptazbru2]

Not keen on being called 'mate' though !

[sp1814]

Kathyan

I think it's always been the case that certain words are appropriate/inappropriate depending on context.

[Mamyalynne]

'Love' is very commonly used here - but again all about who/when and where.

My parcel courier calls me 'Pussycat' - I was taken aback at first but have learned to endear it ( he is mad as toast).

[Jackdaw33]

In my neck of the woods women frequently address men as 'love'.