# Whew! I'm still young enough to be called "dear" by a little old lady! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141 "2013-05-23T17:38:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/1 "2013-05-23T17:38:58Z")
I was going into a building and a little old lady (white hair, kerchief, cane) was just coming out. I opened the rather heavy doors for her. She smiled and said “Thank you dear, I really appreciate it.” I’ve still got it! I look young enough to be called “dear”! ---
**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:** [May 23, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/2 "2013-05-23T18:22:02Z")
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’ve heard old people call other old people “dear” plenty of times… ---
**Author:** ![Dustin\_the\_Wind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f1d935/32.png) [@Dustin\_the\_Wind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dustin_the_Wind)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/3 "2013-05-23T18:32:34Z")
A checkout clerk (a very young man) at the pharmacy I frequent calls me “Miss.” I hated that title when I was young. It’s rather silly now at my age (54). And it doesn’t flatter me. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/4 "2013-05-23T18:39:24Z")
I live in the deep south of the U.S.of A. Everybody down here is “dear”, “sugar”, “honey”, “sweetie” “precious” and other nauseating terms. The thing to watch out for is a “Bless Your Heart.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/5 "2013-05-23T18:43:31Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’ve heard old people call other old people “dear” plenty of times… Plus, through her cataractous lenses you likely appeared basically humanoid.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/6 "2013-05-23T23:57:18Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’ve still got it! I look young enough to be called “dear”! I once looked old enough to be given a senior’s discount. Any chance you can send that little old lady my way, so I can hold a door open for her too? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/7 "2013-05-24T00:02:28Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I once looked old enough to be given a senior’s discount. Yeah, I remember getting that discount years before I should have. Now, I get it automatically, they don’t even bother to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/8 "2013-05-25T06:03:45Z")
On the flip side, I’m apparently _old_ enough now to be called “Dear” by the tattooed 20-something girl working the register at Jack in the Box. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/9 "2013-05-26T02:45:12Z")
She was hitting on you. StG ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/10 "2013-05-26T02:54:05Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > I live in the deep south of the U.S.of A. Everybody down here is “dear”, “sugar”, “honey”, “sweetie” “precious” and other nauseating terms. The thing to watch out for is a “Bless Your Heart.” Oh hell yeah here in the Deep South “Bless Your Heart” makes the “C” word look tame. Which is a good thing here on the Dope because I can just say “Bless your heart” instead . ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/11 "2013-05-26T03:29:04Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > She was hitting on you. > > StG Nah, I’ve been in the restaurant business for 30 years, and I can recognize the patronizing “dears” and “honeys” that waitresses reserve for “old” customers. ---
**Author:** ![chewsick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@chewsick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chewsick)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/12 "2013-05-26T04:54:14Z")
Now I’m getting paranoid – I the other day was getting onto a city bus in heavy rain behind a few gals with big backpacks on, and the bus driver (she recognized me) said “Are you all together?” I said no we are not, and then after being invited by bus driving lady to get on in board, I said, “Hey, I’m going to squeeze behind you, sweetie” to the girl somehow struggling to figure out that baffling concept of transportation we call civilization. I was only maybe eight years older than that chick but I call everyone female dearie, sweetie, but never honey. Not dollface or babe but maybe little sister or cutie. This is a 35 year old white man talking, gainfully employed, not from the south. Let it slide, I think – people just talk how they want to get across, friendly or what not. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-im-still-young-enough-to-be-called-dear-by-a-little-old-lady/659141/13 "2013-05-26T05:02:09Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > On the flip side, I’m apparently _old_ enough now to be called “Dear” by the tattooed 20-something girl working the register at Jack in the Box. Do they still make the Breakfast Jack? Yum.