So we have this British lady from across the pond working with us for a two or three weeks.
Just about every guy I work with salivates over this lady.
Today I had to go over to her office and drop off some paper work.
I asked her:
“So where do you want these?”
She reponded with:
"Oh Just stick’m in the next cubicle over luv. "
I’m embarassed to admit at 34 I got all giddy like a school boy.
So Brits, how loosely is that term thrown around anyway. I always thought it was a bit dated myself. But then again I wouldn’t know having never been to Europe.
(BTW I know just because she said “luv” doesn’t mean squat)
Well as a female in the UK i found it pretty common…often from other, older females. But pretty common in general, so I’m afraid your “doesn’t mean squat” supposition is likely, sadly, accuate. Sorry.
Of course if she mentions her fanny you might want to prick up your ears…
I had a bizarre 3 years at university in Leicester, a city in what is known as the East Midlands, where the local term of endearment, even to hairy students like me, is “Duck”.
If you were thrown by “luv”, never go to Cornwall, where you are in danger of being addressed by an absolute stranger - probably a 500 year old bloke - as “Moi luvverrr”.
“Luv” is pretty common all over England. It has absolutely no connotation when used by a woman but can be terribly sexist & condescending when used by a bloke to a woman: “Get us a cup of tea, luv?”. Some workplaces actively discourage it.
Ha, that’s spot on, as a Leicester lad myself I have to say you are correct, although, luv is also used. The actual phrase for duck though is either “me duck” or “me old duck”, depending on whom one is speaking to.
You are also correct that some women take offence at being called luv, of course some don’t, but it’s very ahrd to judge who will so I tend not to use any of the above unless I’m in the company of friends and using it in a joking manner.
‘Love’ is certainly common, although the geographical distribution is uneven - it’s not something you’d tend to hear here, ‘lad’ and ‘boy’ being the options for men and ‘dear’ for women.
I have one female friend the same age as me (25), from Yorkshire, who uses ‘love’ all the time. So it’s not an older-person thing, either.
When I picked berries in Scotland the preferred term was HEN! In London pubs ‘luv’ was common.
In this neck of the woods, it would be a bad thing if you found ‘mate’ offensive.
Personaly, I find ‘Ma’am’ offensive. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear what the natives call you.
Have ya got ya piece hen? (In Blairgowriw, Scotland) had me truly confused until I figured out that the old chap just wondered if I had something for lunch or did I need to buy a sandwich.
My Jamaican landlady would call everybody “luv”, “sweetie”, “honey” and, uhm, if you happened to be female and she really really liked you, “pussy”. This last one drove me nuts until I realized that she used the term “kitty” for the female parts…
I’ve got to wonder why you even find this term interesting. There are a lot of American woman who call just about anyone “hon,” “honey,” or “dear.” Do you mean that you have never met such women?
Sorry SHAKES - another Brit signing in to tell you not to get your hopes (or anything else) up. All these terms are just fillers; “luv” is perhaps the most widespread geographically although as seosamh says it can be seen condescending from the wrong lips.
In some areas male and female alike can be addressed as “floss” by strangers too, each to their own.
Warning to ‘foreigners’ however, be sure you get the phrasing right if you intend to immitate the locals - where I’ was brought up the greeting is “Hey up me duck”, friends from uni. came home with me one weekend … a long haired Canadian male wandering round the market place of a ex-colliery town greeting the local populace with a cheery “Up your duck!” had to be seen to be believed
My wife had an incident at a motorway stop just outside of Leeds. She had just made a purchase at the convenience shop in the Moto.
Wife: Excuse me?
Older Yorkshire lady: Yes, luv?
Wife: Could I have a carry bag for this, please?
OYL: Why of course, flower! Here you are…
My wife was so tickled at the exchange, she had to ask her grandparents about the honorifics used. Their response was a matter-of-fact “Yes, they use that up there.” Funny thing is that they are about 60 miles south-east of where the exchange took place. Apparently Yorkshire is worlds away from North Lincolnshire.
As an aside, my 4-year-old son was quite pleased when Gramma first called him dear. I then realized that we only ever call the kids by their names…
