Inspired by this thread, is “bub” an insult?
On a scale on 0-10, with 10 being the worst.
I’m wondering if this is a regional thing, so post your region, also.
I think it’s about a 1 or a 2. Slightly rude. I’m in southeast Texas.
I don’t think so. Isn’t it an antiquated way of saying “dude”? Well, I’m currently in Charlotte, NC area, but I’ve relocated from southwest Ohio and I grew up on the west coast.
ETA again: I’m nearly 40 years old if that makes any difference.
Where are you from?
I call one of my best friends “bubba.”
I think it’s like “chief,” or “pal,” or “bro.” It’s how you say it and mean it.
It’s not an insult, but it can be sort of confrontational.
New England.
Sorry about that. I glossed over the “post your region” part. :smack: I’ve corrected my error. Although, IMHO it might be less a region thing and might be more of an age, thing.* OOOORRR maybe even, as in the case of the original Pit thread, a testosterone thing. 
*You know, in the way younger people tend to use less formalities than older folk.
Am I just offending everyone with this post? :o
To/from someone you know, not an insult.
To/from a total stranger, problematic. As used in the linked thread, as part of “you’re doing something wrong”, mildly insulting.
New England.
It strikes me as a term of familiarity or camaraderie on the order of “Dude,” “Bro,” “Man,” and so forth. Many people consider excessive familiarity, or any familiarity from a stranger, to be rude.
If a friend or family member addressed me as “bub,” I’d smile and ask them not to call me that. If a stranger addressed me as “bub” I’d ignore him/her, glare, or say, “I beg your pardon?” as appropriate.
It entirely depends on the context and intonation, and perhaps the location of the speaker. “Sir” and “ma’am” are not insults in the American south–often hthey are practicaly de rigeur–but I understand they are considered rude and dismissive in the North.
Yankees are strange.
It’s a put-down, a sign of no respect, the anti-sir. On a scale of 1 to 10, maybe a 2.
I’m from Southern California, and I would consider “dude,” “buddy,” “chief” or “bro” neutral terms. I’m not sure I’ve ever actually heard anyone call anyone else “pal” outside of movies and TV.
ETA: “Sir” is definitely not an insult, but like any word, it can be spoken in an insulting manner.
By itself, I think it’s meaningless. It depends on the context, what’s being said right before or after it to take on any significance. I’m in New Jersey.
I was on a plane from Fairbanks, AK to Vancouver, BC about 14 years ago and some guy was demanding a Heineken from the male* flight attendant . The FA insisted there wasn’t any Heineken on the plane; the guy insisted he saw one in the first class cabin when he boarded; the FA insisted that was impossible because the airline never stocked Heineken; back & forth. Finally the passenger demanded “we’ll you better find me one” and the FA replied “we’re on a plane, bub”, and walked away. He might as well have said, “we’re on a plane, you moronic douchebag”. In that context, it was an 8, maybe 8.5.
*His gender is only relevant in that it was a heated discussion between two guys; I think the FA’s rejoinder may have been interpreted differently from a woman.
I was thinking of that exact bit, but couldn’t remember Dane Cook’s name. 
It’s so true, though.
I call my younger son Bub. It’s not an insult at all in our family, just a nickname, which he loves.
Ditto. Also New England.
It’s rude and confrontational in a small way. Can you imagine someone using it in a complimentary manner? In my mind you’d use “buddy” to take some edge off. I’m from the Pacific Northwest by way of upstate NY and New England.
Sure. My favorite teacher from college and I always greet one another by sayin “What’s the hububb, bub?” I’m sure his other students to the same. It means you’re in like flynn with Vin.
It’s probably meant to be slightly condescending/slightly insulting, so I’ll give it a 1-2. If anybody actually called me that, I’d probably laugh at him.
I’m in Texas.
In southern German - and I think also in Yiddish - it means “boy”. I have no idea whether that’s the origin of the English term but it could explain the different acceptability in different contexts.