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

[tonyav]

I hate it when my boss calls me mate, it means that he's after something.

[Peaspeculiars]

I don't have a problem with it at all. I find it quite endearing and more used up north as a friendly greeting.
When I'm on a building site the general greeting each morning it 'Ay up love, y'aright?' (and I'm the client).
I used to find 'Petal, Love and Flower' etc annoying, but as I've aged I realise that it's not a condescension, more an subconcious acknowledgement that you're a female during conversation with no undertones intended - in my experience anyhow.

[Kathyan]

sp, yes I know but these days it's hard to know what to say as different words/phrases can change. One day it's OK to say something and the next day it isn't!

[Jackdaw33]

I hate the use of the term 'guys' when addressing a mixed audience. To me the term is exclusively male.

When I was in the RAF we were frequently addressed as 'chaps' by officers. They couldn't call us gentlemen because only officers were gentlemen. Any female personnel were addressed as 'chapesses'.

[Peter Pedant]

// but is retained in other languages, especially Italian, which has special verb forms for this.// Jackdaw

I dont wish to be er pedantic but I think the verb forms are OK ( 3rd pers sing ) but the pronouns differ ( Lei ) -La
and according to Si Dice Cosi the Beeb Italian course from the sixties represents La Sua Eccelen..... ( Excellency )

and there is a plural form ( Their excellencies ) but I never used it not learnt it

hey Jackie you cant put your finger on the bit of Dante where the villainous Ugolini is walled up with his kids... and eats them, can you ?

[Jackdaw33]

Quite right, PP. Pity I never really learned Italian. I meant to say that I believe that there is a special form of the second person pronoun used with the third person form of the verb. Or it might be vice versa. (Note to self: you're retired now, go and learn Italian before putting foot in mouth).

[THECORBYLOON]

We' d say quine or more likely hen for women.

[Psybbo]

I hate 'hen' or 'dear'
but like 'flower' or 'petal' or 'love'

[Bbbananas]

I don't take offence. Unless its said with a sneer or obvious sarcasm.

In my part of the country, it's all 'duck' - I don't mind that either.
Bit i Don't like dear - it makes me feel old.

[DTCwordfan]

How about chick then, psybbs - or calyx?

Better than 'ow are ewe, daffy' for the welsh......

[sp1814]

Peter Pedant

You wrote that if your female boss said, "be a love and check last week's accounts for me" that you 'would sashay into her office and rip my clothes off
(and then hers)'.

I would suggest that men who 'sashay' are hardly likely to ever want to rip a woman's clothes off.

[sp1814]

Kathyan

But it's always been about context.

[wired]

Just a throw away for those who can 't or won't address someone properly, darlin'

[DaisyNonna]

Context is important, parliament needs to be formal, personalities should not impinge upon policies.
I am only too happy if someone speaks to me.
Dislike madam. happy to be addressed as flower, petal or duck. I am being accepted.
Even happier to be called my lovely. Makes me feel appreciated whatever I look like.
My all time favourite was being called my lady in Dorset when I was feeling an absolute idiot for having left my handbag on a station bench.

[Peter Pedant]

//I hate it when my boss calls me mate, it means that he's after something.//

I had a few elder and much better colleagues who would only speak to me when they wanted me to do something for them.

[ and in the end we used to flee up the corridor screaming No no - OK only in my dreams ]

[maggiebee]

Really depends on the circumstances - in business it would be totally inappropriate. In Scotland we call females "hen" as a term of endearment, but I've an English friend who thought she was being insulted when she first moved here.

[Fusion5]

I have no problem with being called 'love'. My pet hate is 'hun'. It is widely used on FB, it makes me cringe, so false.

[Peter Pedant]

// I would suggest that men who 'sashay' are hardly likely to ever want to rip a woman's clothes off.//

truth and justice forces me to admit er that this has never actually happened. I intended you to read the comment as you would the coming party manifestos

[Peter Pedant]

// Context is important, parliament needs to be formal, personalities should not impinge upon policies. //

well yes and no

In the house, you dont use name but " Honourable Member for X " or Honourable and Learned Member if a lawyer or....

to come to think of it that may be the reason why 'Love' as used