# King Of The Hill: Honey? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991 "2008-02-17T16:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/1 "2008-02-17T16:49:30Z")
KOTH is a show that I can take or leave, so I’m not a regular watcher. There’s one character that calls Hank ‘Honey’. Why? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/2 "2008-02-17T16:58:32Z")
That’s Joe-Jack. He calls everyone Honey, not just Hank. Regardless of gender. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/3 "2008-02-17T17:15:36Z")
Why? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/4 "2008-02-17T17:17:53Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Why? [/QUOTE] It’s my understanding that in parts of the south “Honey” is a general term of affection, not a signifier of love like it is in most other places. Could be wrong about that. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/5 "2008-02-17T17:21:03Z")
Because it’s funny? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/6 "2008-02-17T19:09:31Z")
My dad calls all waitresses “Honey”. It’s too late to stop him now. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/7 "2008-02-17T20:22:40Z")
In _Huckleberry Finn_, the slave Jim calls Huck “Hon”. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/8 "2008-02-17T22:18:18Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] It’s my understanding that in parts of the south “Honey” is a general term of affection, not a signifier of love like it is in most other places. Could be wrong about that. [/QUOTE] It’s not a widespread phenomenon and I have only heard of one man, my uncle, ever using it as a general term of affection. He’s a pretty cantankerous man on the whole but uses it without any kind of irony for all of his grandchildren and has even called me honey once or twice and I’m very much a guy. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/9 "2008-02-17T23:22:03Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] It’s my understanding that in parts of the south “Honey” is a general term of affection, not a signifier of love like it is in most other places. Could be wrong about that. [/QUOTE] I think the main issue Joe Jack would have with that explanation is that, by and large, Texans don’t consider themselves Southerners. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/10 "2008-02-17T23:54:35Z")
I second the “it’s funny” explanation with a dash of “Southern/Texan colloquialism” for flavor. Clearly if there were any sexual component to it Hank would be quite uncomfortable with Joe Jack’s calling him “Honey” but Hank isn’t flapped at all by it (although honestly I think for a cartoon it’s kinda hot). ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/11 "2008-02-18T17:41:46Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] I think the main issue Joe Jack would have with that explanation is that, by and large, Texans don’t consider themselves Southerners. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I don’t get this impression at all. I live in Houston and while people would normally consider themselves “Texans”, most people also identify themselves as Southern. I have never heard a man refer to another man as honey in a heterosexual context. I, too, found this kind of weird. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/12 "2008-02-18T17:52:42Z")
“Come back to the raft ag’in, Huck honey!” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/13 "2008-02-18T18:16:26Z")
[QUOTE=middleman] I don’t get this impression at all. I live in Houston and while people would normally consider themselves “Texans”, most people also identify themselves as Southern. [/QUOTE] You would certainly have a better take on it than I would. I’m mostly going by the general feeling of “Texan-ness” I get from _KotH_ characters in general, and the occasional comedian (like the one, [del]whose name escapes me[/del], who said “Texans don’t consider themselves Southerners, because Texas doesn’t want the South. Texas wants Mexico.”) Edit: I remembered who it was. Jebus help me, it was Gallagher. Please don’t hold that against me. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/14 "2008-02-18T21:32:35Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] You would certainly have a better take on it than I would. I’m mostly going by the general feeling of “Texan-ness” I get from _KotH_ characters in general, and the occasional comedian (like the one, [del]whose name escapes me[/del], who said “Texans don’t consider themselves Southerners, because Texas doesn’t want the South. Texas wants Mexico.”) Edit: I remembered who it was. Jebus help me, it was Gallagher. Please don’t hold that against me. [/QUOTE] Not to say there aren’t people who feel that way. Most of the people I associate with just think of themselves as Americans who play the whole Southern/Texan thing up as a bit of a joke. Hell, my Southern accent (I was raised in Alabama until my teen years) only comes out when I am talking to someone expecting it (or I am drunk.) I own boots, but they stay in my closet until Rodeo days. Otherwise, it is Johnston-Murphy loafers. Tough to peg down Texas. It is so big and diverse. There may well be large number of people who feel as you suggest. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/15 "2008-02-18T21:49:03Z")
[QUOTE=middleman] I don’t get this impression at all. I live in Houston and while people would normally consider themselves “Texans”, most people also identify themselves as Southern. I have never heard a man refer to another man as honey in a heterosexual context. I, too, found this kind of weird. [/QUOTE] I think of Houston as being the most Southern part of Texas. (it’s practically West Louisiana) I’m from the deep South and I don’t consider Texans Southern. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/16 "2008-02-18T22:19:25Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] I think of Houston as being the most Southern part of Texas. (it’s practically West Louisiana) I’m from the deep South and I don’t consider Texans Southern. [/QUOTE] You live in Austin. That’s practically Massachusetts! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/17 "2008-02-18T22:49:49Z")
Isn’t this the same show where Dale’s wife calls Hank’s wife “Suge” short for sugar. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/18 "2008-02-18T22:56:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Tough to peg down Texas. It is so big and diverse. Texans listen to both country and western. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/19 "2008-02-19T00:31:06Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Isn’t this the same show where Dale’s wife calls Hank’s wife “Suge” short for sugar. [/QUOTE] It is weird to me that this is weird to you. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991/20 "2008-02-19T02:15:49Z")
Nancy calls _everybody_ “Sug.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-of-the-hill-honey/437991.md?page=2)