# A poll: What do you and your SO call each other? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375 "2007-07-11T15:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/1 "2007-07-11T15:50:05Z")
I call my hubby “buddy”, or [lastname] when I’m feeling playful. I often call him by his middle name, which is what every one calls him (he and his father share a first and middle name, and firstname is always used for his father, middlename for him, to avoid confusion). Of course, during intimate moments, the full range of endearments come out, but on a day-to-day basis, it’s middlename, lastname, or buddy. He calls me firstname (I’ve never had a nick name I liked!) or sweetie. Boring, I know, but hey, he’s an engineer. He can’t help it. 😛 BTW, if it’s relevant, we’ve been married for 18 years, together for 23. So, what about you and your SO? How do you refer to one another? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/2 "2007-07-11T15:53:13Z")
You mean out loud? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/3 "2007-07-11T15:59:18Z")
We don’t. We find that we get along better when we don’t talk. At all. Ever. Honey, whatever your real name is, babe - the usual. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/4 "2007-07-11T16:00:34Z")
Boss, chief. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/5 "2007-07-11T16:02:42Z")
I either use his name, or “babe”. Not sure why, but there you have it. On the rare times he addresses me with a name of any kind, it’s just my regular old name. No sweetie or honey or anything. For example… most often: “Did you want a drink?” and much more rare: “ **Antigen** , did you want a drink?” The latter is mostly only used when there are other people about, because when we’re alone he just assumes I’ll know he’s talking to me. Hey, at least he uses the _right_ name. I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/6 "2007-07-11T16:07:05Z")
My husband sometimes calls me “Sarafina,” which is how I got my screen name. I call him the diminutive add-a-y form of his name. Otherwise, the usual “hon,” “babe,” etc. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/7 "2007-07-11T16:14:45Z")
He calls me Caricci (pronounced Cah-Deech) or Karen. I call him “hon”, Freddy, Feday, Freakosan, Freakosian, Superfreak. His name is Federico. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/8 "2007-07-11T16:30:52Z")
I call him dear, he calls me sweetheart. When he calls me honey, he’s irritated with me and trying to hide it. I don’t think he knows I’ve figured that out. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/9 "2007-07-11T16:31:51Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] You mean out loud? [/QUOTE] You can include the “keep it to yourself” names if you wish. Here, I’ll start: when he’s acting like a good guy (you know, when I can clearly remember why I married him), I’ll think “honey”. But I’m more likely to keep it to myself when I’m mentally calling him “asshole”. Fortunately, he’s the type that, if I call him that out loud, he’ll be genuinely interested in what he did wrong, and not repeating the behavior in the future. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Most\_Creative\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Most\_Creative\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Most_Creative_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/10 "2007-07-11T16:40:36Z")
Hun, love, babe, his real name. More often than not Hun. He calls me Sweetie, love, hun, babe, sexy, sweetheart, woman, my real name, and many others that I can’t think of right now. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/11 "2007-07-11T16:41:41Z")
Bear (you know, as in a teddy bear. Cuddly and such) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/12 "2007-07-11T16:43:51Z")
I call him “love”. It has a pleasant old-fashioned flavor I like. His nick for me is “Munch”. I don’t remember why, it’s really nothing dirty, but I do think it’s cute. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/13 "2007-07-11T16:49:46Z")
I call her “baby” or “sweetheart” She calls me by my name ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/14 "2007-07-11T17:06:02Z")
We call each other … shmoopie. Lord help us, we do. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/15 "2007-07-11T17:17:52Z")
We must be odd. We use our names ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/16 "2007-07-11T17:54:49Z")
I call her dear, doll, my sweet, my love, and of course, her real firstname. Phone calls always end with, "Bye, lover."When I’m peeved, it’s wife. She calls me lover or my firstname. In the third person, I’m her hubby or the big guy. To the dog, for example, “I don’t have your squeaky bone; go talk to the big guy.” ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/17 "2007-07-11T18:11:08Z")
I call him baby or by his name. Though when we’re alone, I’ll call him Love Bug. (Cute, isn’t it, naming him after those bugs that screw for hours then promptly die from exhaustion. And cover your car in black and red goo whenever you travel in May) He calls me baby, my name, or Sweet Pea. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/18 "2007-07-11T18:14:40Z")
When I had a quasi-SO, lo these many years ago, I went with “sweetheart”. I’d probably go with that or “honey”. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/19 "2007-07-11T18:16:11Z")
First names mostly, although I do call her “Your Sexiness” from time to time, which she likes very much. ---
**Author:** ![GillianBoardman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GillianBoardman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GillianBoardman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375/20 "2007-07-11T18:16:55Z")
I call him Angel, or Sweetie, or by his name. He calls me Sweetness, or by my name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poll-what-do-you-and-your-so-call-each-other/411375.md?page=2)