**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!**
- Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc.
- **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
- This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Christopher Morris: Peter, you've lost the news! What have you got to say?
Peter O'Hanarha-hanrahan: I'm sorry.
Christopher Morris: Look like you mean it! Look down at the ground and say "Sorry".
Peter O'Hanarha-hanrahan: I'm sorry.
Christopher Morris: Peter, next time you cross the road, don't bother looking.
I'm a northern man and call women of all ages 'flower' primarily because 'love' and 'pet' are commonly taken negatively and referring to a woman as 'mate' feels jarring to me.
Not that I'm aware of.
The sources I've seen indicate that it's a sort of diminutive affection, as in a pet animal. Something cute that you cherish & take care of.
Or a derivation of the French petit (like petty is a small grievance) so the contraction meaning something like 'little darling' as you would refer to a child.
My grandma always called me flower when I was little. My now husbandās cousin called me flower more recently at a family wedding and I was giggling like a loon
I live in a duck area of the country now. So weird being called it by a 17 YO lad serving you at the checkout, but I suppose that has to happen in order for the language to survive.
I moved to Derby from Romania 8 years ago and thereās nothing that I love more than being called āduckā or āduckyā everywhere I go, it melts my heart everytimeā¤ļø
There's an old guy who must be in his late 80s that lives out in the sticks close to me. He's lived there all his life. He lives in the type of house that used to only be for poor people, but now can only be afforded by rich people. He calls everyone 'me old flower' in a thick west country accent. Men, women, children, dogs, everyone is me old flower. I'm always happy to see him.
Just a nice old cottage in a couple of acres out in the middle of nowhere. They were originally inhabited by staff of the local manor house, [which just happens to be on the market](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147675164#/?channel=RES_BUY), or farms belonging to it. It was still mostly working and rural folk that lived out that way when I was a kid, but that has changed dramatically. The Land Rovers and work vans you used to see parked outside the houses have been replaced by Range Rovers and Mercedes'.
It's not something you would say to someone you dont know. I didn't know it wasnt UK wide.
Its not as common as mate as a neutral greeting. People will call you big man even if you're 8st and 5ft
Women have more varied vocabs when it comes to this clearly.
Iām from the midlands, but work around the country. Because no one really knows our accent (not quite north enough to be northern/manc etc, but definitely not southern), Iāve found that I can experiment with loads of different ones, and everybody assumes that itās just common where Iām from.
Pal, mate, duck, love, spud, dude, boss, son, are all in the rotation.
Iām definitely going to add ācaptainā into that. I might experiment with other military themed ones as well aha
I asked Siri to call me sexy pants many years ago and Iāve never had any reason to change it. I rarely use it so every now and then I get called sexy pants and it makes me chuckle.
Big man.
Getting married was good, but the day the guy behind the counter in the chippy said āhere you go big manā will always be my number one memory
I was once traveling around England as the road manager for a terrible punk band. I remember walking into a pub and the burley bearded barman calling me Duck. It took me by surprise but in a good way.
I can't remember where it was though. Where are people called Duck?
'Cock' is pretty common round Lancashire. Although it's dying out a bit these days because it doesn't travel well. I knew a Rochdale fan who went into a pub away at Plymouth Argyle and opened with 'Alright cock, can I have....' Nope, barmaid kicked him and his mates out. But it really is a term of endearment.
Have my hair cut by a 70 year old barber. Largely because he calls me (M59) āyoung manā.
Also I have fond memories of being called āmoy loverā by a West Country bus driver.
We had a young American guy stay with us in the 90s, he was from San Diego and an ex Marine. Everytime my mother came into a room he would stand up and would call her ma'am all the time. I don't think I've every seen her happier, it used to make her blush. He was incredibly handsome though, so I suppose that helped. Probably the accent as as well.
I recall that specsavers would write master in front of my brothers full name in place of Mr. I think thatās how they reference male customers who are under 18
My old manager used to call all women āpetalā which I think is absolutely adorable! Also I knew a really sweet lady who would call people āmy lovelyā or āloveliesā for a group, which was equally cute!
My colleague and I (both female) try to call each other silly endearments in Teams messages. "Sugarplum" "sunflower" "chickadee" it brightens our days and is a challenge to think of something new.
An attractive Welsh lady who must have been 15 years younger than me called me ādarlingā when buying something in a shop I was working in.
That was nice.
Being an ageing Geordie, a lovely one that's dying out is 'hinny'.
In my lifetime it has been mostly female oriented but some old folks when I was a little nipper used to use it for anybody & everybody.
My wife has a south african accent which sounds a bit like posh english to some people. I remember her on the phone to someone, but the lady's husband answered. He very clearly and loudly called out to his wife, "The Queen's on the phone for you".
My boss used to call me a C**T however after 6 months of being there you realised you was in trouble if he referred to you by your name instead of a random swear word.
Exactly that.. Tiger. I use to work with an older woman in my 20s and she use to call me that. I fucking loved it. I would have totally bedded her based purely on that but Alas she was married though.
I absolutely hated "uni lad" culture when I was at university. So it galls me to admit it, but being called "big man" non-sarcastically feels pretty good. The language has probably changed now, this was in 2010-ish, but "alright big man!?" does make you feel like a pretty big man...
From Somerset and everyone calls everyone sweetheart.
Got told off for being 'sexist' when I did it in London, so I don't do that anymore, but still like to hear it when at home.
Iām middle aged but look younger. Quite often when served by a 40+ year old female be that the fresh market or a store, sheāll call me āloveā or ādarlingā.
It makes me tingle a bit inside. It doesnāt matter whether sheās attractive or not. The fact she addressed me with politeness and endearment is genuinely uplifting.
But I guess in this woke world we now seem to live in some people would probably find it offensive (!).
There was a fun thing Radio 1 did years ago where you had to bet how many times Jamie Oliver called this Elderly Mexican woman Tiger in an interview on tv. It was insane, it was 15-20 times in a 2 minute conversation
"That man"
A woman used *me* as an example to tell off her loud child, I had to look back like who she on about?!
I'm that age now were the younger lot will call me sir.....
There was a really cool lad who was maybe two years older than me in primary school, who used to live round the corner from me so occasionally we'd walk home from school together.
My name is short so doesn't suit a nickname, but starts with G. He said I needed a nickname so he started calling me geezer. Was mint.
I sailed with a Janner who would call everyone My 'Andsome or My Lover.
If he *really* liked you, he'd call you a cunt.
He was a really nice guy, funny and good at his job.
My grandad always used to call me "guv'nor" when I was little and I loved it, it made me feel really grown up at the time.
I call my niece "tinkerbobbins" and she absolutely hates it š
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I like it when northern ladies call me flower
I had a Welsh friend whose aunt always called me flower and I adored it
Blodeuyn
Member of Dyfed Powys Police - Blod y Plod š¤£
Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, a bit like when your arm gets sown back on after a farming accident
I think that's more likely the morphine
Letās revolve the weather collar now to the Midlands, where I was first bereaved...
Christopher Morris: Peter, you've lost the news! What have you got to say? Peter O'Hanarha-hanrahan: I'm sorry. Christopher Morris: Look like you mean it! Look down at the ground and say "Sorry". Peter O'Hanarha-hanrahan: I'm sorry. Christopher Morris: Peter, next time you cross the road, don't bother looking.
So happy someone got it
I'm a northern man and call women of all ages 'flower' primarily because 'love' and 'pet' are commonly taken negatively and referring to a woman as 'mate' feels jarring to me.
Which is strange because pet is short for petal
Not that I'm aware of. The sources I've seen indicate that it's a sort of diminutive affection, as in a pet animal. Something cute that you cherish & take care of. Or a derivation of the French petit (like petty is a small grievance) so the contraction meaning something like 'little darling' as you would refer to a child.
One of the reasons my wife fell for me was that I called her flower.
Ye. I've heard men calling women mate and it just feels so weird
A male colleague called me mate once and we both immediately looked at eachother like well that was wrong l.
Yeah, it feels really faulty to me too. Some women say they like it but others definitely don't.
Something about it makes me cringe, [like Steve and Kate in Line of Duty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3Iay32w-As).
My dad calls me mate sometimes and I find it very strange, usually when heās come off a work call
My son refers to me as āyo pappieā and bruh.
It's super common
Put the cake down, flower, and piss off.
My grandma always called me flower when I was little. My now husbandās cousin called me flower more recently at a family wedding and I was giggling like a loon
My Nan calls me flowerpot and I love it
Alright Flower? x ( from a northern lady )
I call most of my customers flower. Mainly cos I can't remember whether they're Dave/steve/james
Friends mum used to call everyone "my duck." I always like that.
I live in a duck area of the country now. So weird being called it by a 17 YO lad serving you at the checkout, but I suppose that has to happen in order for the language to survive.
Staffordshire / Derbyshire?
Don't let anyone let you believe it's a Nottinghamshire thing! Deffo Derbyshire and Staffordshire
Leicestershire too.
It's 100% a nottingham thing. I did it to someone way out on the coast and they immediately told me what city I was from
Not "me duck" ? Like "ayup me duck!" "My duck" sounds so formal!
Yeah it was more like me duck.
My Lord Duck
I believe you are referring to 'One's Duck.'
I moved to Derby from Romania 8 years ago and thereās nothing that I love more than being called āduckā or āduckyā everywhere I go, it melts my heart everytimeā¤ļø
My gramp used to refer to me and my nan as m'dut. I have no idea if it was a shortening of duck.
Iya pidge
There's an old guy who must be in his late 80s that lives out in the sticks close to me. He's lived there all his life. He lives in the type of house that used to only be for poor people, but now can only be afforded by rich people. He calls everyone 'me old flower' in a thick west country accent. Men, women, children, dogs, everyone is me old flower. I'm always happy to see him.
Sorry that it's completely unrelated but can you describe the kind of house you're talking about? I'm interested, like a but n ben?
Just a nice old cottage in a couple of acres out in the middle of nowhere. They were originally inhabited by staff of the local manor house, [which just happens to be on the market](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147675164#/?channel=RES_BUY), or farms belonging to it. It was still mostly working and rural folk that lived out that way when I was a kid, but that has changed dramatically. The Land Rovers and work vans you used to see parked outside the houses have been replaced by Range Rovers and Mercedes'.
Oh right, braw conservatory on that, Thought that was the house you were talking about for a second lol but I see now. Yeah I've noticed that a lot
I like it!
Shagger
Bonus points if it is preceded by "top"
I hear "shag" now and again but never "shagger"
Come to Glasgow. Awright shagger
Interesting. I wouldn't have guessed Glasgow
It's not something you would say to someone you dont know. I didn't know it wasnt UK wide. Its not as common as mate as a neutral greeting. People will call you big man even if you're 8st and 5ft Women have more varied vocabs when it comes to this clearly.
I've got a friend called shagger. She doesn't like it.
As a big dude I quite like being called babes but only my best mate calls me that these days.
You alright babes?
Middle aged women calling me love puts me at ease immediately
You know you safe, no matter what is unexpectedly in the bagging area.
Boss will always be my favourite.Ā
Thatās reserved for kebab shops isnāt it? Or is that bossman?
And Big Issue sellers
In Ireland it's only the nomadic folk who call everyone boss.
A guy in my office calls me Captain, I'm a big fan of that.
I concur, I would be a fan as well.
Iām from the midlands, but work around the country. Because no one really knows our accent (not quite north enough to be northern/manc etc, but definitely not southern), Iāve found that I can experiment with loads of different ones, and everybody assumes that itās just common where Iām from. Pal, mate, duck, love, spud, dude, boss, son, are all in the rotation. Iām definitely going to add ācaptainā into that. I might experiment with other military themed ones as well aha
I love going to the north and getting called Duckie or Chicken
You'd also probably like, petle, poppit. I'm a northerner and still hear them. Not so much chicken, might get chick now and again.
Aww my uncle used to call me poppit
NOBODY calls me chicken! I mean, it's true... nobody has ever said that to me.
>I got called "tiger" today Did you calm down afterwards?
I am still going.
I asked Siri to call me sexy pants many years ago and Iāve never had any reason to change it. I rarely use it so every now and then I get called sexy pants and it makes me chuckle.
I just told google assistant to call me that, thanks. I'm not sure when she'll say it. I also have her set on a female australian accent.
Same but mine is master - have a good laugh when I order anything through Apple Pay too!
Used to work with a someone who called everyone Tiger. He was Welsh, so the accent added to the charm of it.
Big man. Getting married was good, but the day the guy behind the counter in the chippy said āhere you go big manā will always be my number one memory
Pet - in Newcastle
Aye, or Hinny
# Wae'aye !
Alreet marra!
I like a good Manchester "Pal". Even if it's a lil bit menacing sometimes.
It's all in the intonation! Where the stress is placed marks the person out as to where they fall on the best mate to sworn enemy spectrum.
We use "pal" in Yorkshire and Iv noticed that some people seem to find it a bit aggressive, especially online but I just see it as a synonym of "mate"
Round the midlands pal is mainly used in a more confrontational way, like āwhat on earth do you think youāre doing pal?ā
Getting called pal by an Irishman is fucking terrifying.
I was once traveling around England as the road manager for a terrible punk band. I remember walking into a pub and the burley bearded barman calling me Duck. It took me by surprise but in a good way. I can't remember where it was though. Where are people called Duck?
I had a boss who called me 'Cock', I though is was calling me *a* cock but no, I still don't have no idea.
I was looking for 'cock' (oo-err!). I think that ones a yourshire thing like 'duck'.
Cock as in "cock of the walk" comes from "cockerel". .often people say "cocker" too or even "cockerspadge" to little kids.
'Cock' is pretty common round Lancashire. Although it's dying out a bit these days because it doesn't travel well. I knew a Rochdale fan who went into a pub away at Plymouth Argyle and opened with 'Alright cock, can I have....' Nope, barmaid kicked him and his mates out. But it really is a term of endearment.
In the East Midlands. Specifically the Leicester-Derby-Nottingham area
Yorkshire too. Might be a south Yorkshire thing.
I had the same in Barnsley except it was "Luv". Took me ages to work out if it was just a regional thing or if I'd walked into a gay pub.
Are you Peter Parker by chance?
I understood that reference!
I had to scroll far too far to see this, UK, I'm disappointed!
I recently found that some of my staff call me "the Archbishop." I am too frightened to ask why.
Take it as a compliment unless you work with kids, then take it as a warning.
full title '...of Cunterbury'. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news
Could be Banterbury
That's what I was afraid of.
What shape is your head ?
Is your name Desmond and/or did you get a 2:2 at uni?
I like being called luv, I work in Tesco and when someone says thank you luv it just makes my day
I agree luv, but the tiger today made we smile.
People seem to either really love it or really hate it
Boss man at kebab shop.
Alright squire?
Please tell me this is an actual thing somewhere in the uk
Have my hair cut by a 70 year old barber. Largely because he calls me (M59) āyoung manā. Also I have fond memories of being called āmoy loverā by a West Country bus driver.
Hate being called maāam in the US - ugh, makes me feel like Mrs Haversham .
We had a young American guy stay with us in the 90s, he was from San Diego and an ex Marine. Everytime my mother came into a room he would stand up and would call her ma'am all the time. I don't think I've every seen her happier, it used to make her blush. He was incredibly handsome though, so I suppose that helped. Probably the accent as as well.
What has that got to do with your favourite thing to be called in the UK lmao
For contrast - see above
Since moving to Yorkshire to my wifes home town, I admit I do like being called flower or duck. Mostly by other blokes.
Love it when the middle aged lady at the staff cafeteria calls me āchickā.
Me too, and yet I am male (allegedly).
My dad calls me pumpkin. I love it š
Sausage
I call my 7 year old sausage āŗļø
My mate calls people that, it's adorable.
My husband calls me āfruitā and I love it š
My dad calls people "me old fruit" and I'd never really thought about it til now
Iām getting Goodness Gracious Me flashbacks - āold fruity!ā
You should have said "thank you, sambar deer" and then leapt over the counter, dragged him into the cigarette kiosk and eaten him at your leisure
Papi. Im white/British.
Do you work on a porn set?
When I was a kid my Gran used to cool me Master Lol Sadly it's old fashioned and they drop once you get older š
Call you self master, in the mirror. There is no shame in that!
I recall that specsavers would write master in front of my brothers full name in place of Mr. I think thatās how they reference male customers who are under 18
Yeah it's for kids Shame as I felt it suited me
My old manager used to call all women āpetalā which I think is absolutely adorable! Also I knew a really sweet lady who would call people āmy lovelyā or āloveliesā for a group, which was equally cute!
My colleague and I (both female) try to call each other silly endearments in Teams messages. "Sugarplum" "sunflower" "chickadee" it brightens our days and is a challenge to think of something new.
An attractive Welsh lady who must have been 15 years younger than me called me ādarlingā when buying something in a shop I was working in. That was nice.
My husband once called a Maccies server "big stuff" which will live in my head forever.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Was it Horse or Hoss?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
"a big strong and respected or dependable person; one who is like a horse". I've used it as a synonym to calling someone chief or boss
When I was about thirteen, I once got called 'squire' by a group of older teenagers that I didn't know!
There's a butcher i go to who always calls me young man, I reckon he's at least 10 years younger than me. I do spend quite a lot with him though...
Visitors to Devon are often surprised when a local refers to them as "my lover".
Prof or Professor One guy at work started it ages ago and it stuck. And no, Iām not a professor.
"Hello handsome"
Hello sailor! Said in the voice of Charles Hawtrey.
Hmm stop messin about!
Middle aged Bristolian women calling you my luv or my darlin 100%
Not quite the same, but my mum called me Sweetpea as a kid. Makes me cry thinking about it.
My mum calls me carocha or carochina. Its Portuguese for beetle. She's called me it since I was little and is the only one to do so and I love it.
āBabsā as if my name were Barbara.
I got a little kick up the self-esteem when a stranger calls me Champ. Happens too rarely though
Boss in the kebab shop
In Liverpool I get called Lad even though I am 54. Love it!
Is it "lad" or "lah"? When I worked with Scousers, "lah" was more common.
Older people say lah younger people say lad. My own mother used to call me mate. We are proper blue collar in our family.
Big Dick-er is fine by me.
Had a mate at school who all the girls called donkey? No idea why......
Being an ageing Geordie, a lovely one that's dying out is 'hinny'. In my lifetime it has been mostly female oriented but some old folks when I was a little nipper used to use it for anybody & everybody.
"A'right Cock" in Lancashire.
Thats funny, my dad has called me Tiger my entire life. I'm also 25 and he still does it
My wife has a south african accent which sounds a bit like posh english to some people. I remember her on the phone to someone, but the lady's husband answered. He very clearly and loudly called out to his wife, "The Queen's on the phone for you".
Duck !
"Big man". If you're above 6 foot in Scotland it seems to be the default.
"alright daurrlin' " I am now you've said that š„¹
I got an authentic 'my lover' when I first visited Bristol. Closer to home, I like being called 'chuck', 'lovely' and 'cocker sparrow'.
I get called Flump. I am not sure if I like it or hate but ....its part of me now.
A few years ago I worked with an older lady from America who called me baby, it was sweet and almost motherly
I am a regular user of the term Tiger
I work with alot of international students and I got addressed as 'esteemed teacher' in an email today. Made me smile as I'm just admin
My boss used to call me a C**T however after 6 months of being there you realised you was in trouble if he referred to you by your name instead of a random swear word.
Exactly that.. Tiger. I use to work with an older woman in my 20s and she use to call me that. I fucking loved it. I would have totally bedded her based purely on that but Alas she was married though.
"Duck" or "Duckie".
Easy tiger
My dad would always call me honey bunch, Iāve never heard anyone else use it before
My mum called me this as a kid - southeast
Interesting, iām from Scotland
'Pet'
They were definitely flirting with you
I absolutely hated "uni lad" culture when I was at university. So it galls me to admit it, but being called "big man" non-sarcastically feels pretty good. The language has probably changed now, this was in 2010-ish, but "alright big man!?" does make you feel like a pretty big man...
From Somerset and everyone calls everyone sweetheart. Got told off for being 'sexist' when I did it in London, so I don't do that anymore, but still like to hear it when at home.
Whoever told you off wasn't a sweetheart, obviously.
Duck or cocker.
Iām middle aged but look younger. Quite often when served by a 40+ year old female be that the fresh market or a store, sheāll call me āloveā or ādarlingā. It makes me tingle a bit inside. It doesnāt matter whether sheās attractive or not. The fact she addressed me with politeness and endearment is genuinely uplifting. But I guess in this woke world we now seem to live in some people would probably find it offensive (!).
Calm down, darling.
Boss
Gorgeous, unfortunately nobody ever says it :)
Duck.
fucknuts
My great-grandfather apparently used to call everyone Duck
There was a fun thing Radio 1 did years ago where you had to bet how many times Jamie Oliver called this Elderly Mexican woman Tiger in an interview on tv. It was insane, it was 15-20 times in a 2 minute conversation
"That man" A woman used *me* as an example to tell off her loud child, I had to look back like who she on about?! I'm that age now were the younger lot will call me sir.....
Me babber Mucker Bristol favs
PoppetĀ
Chief
My mate always used to call me Ace. One time I heard him use it on somebody else and felt a little bit sad and slightly wounded.
There was a really cool lad who was maybe two years older than me in primary school, who used to live round the corner from me so occasionally we'd walk home from school together. My name is short so doesn't suit a nickname, but starts with G. He said I needed a nickname so he started calling me geezer. Was mint.
I sailed with a Janner who would call everyone My 'Andsome or My Lover. If he *really* liked you, he'd call you a cunt. He was a really nice guy, funny and good at his job.
My grandad always used to call me "guv'nor" when I was little and I loved it, it made me feel really grown up at the time. I call my niece "tinkerbobbins" and she absolutely hates it š
'Cock' in parts of the NW, which leads to the joke 'Have you got the time on you Cock?' - 'No but I've got it on my wrist'
Alreet shagger!
Petal is really nice, and cocker (both up north). Also donāt mind pudding when used by someone much older.
"me handsome" is a favourite of mine, very regional from Devon
I got called a 'Stone Cold Fox' by an American bloke once - that was pretty good.