Recently the New Republic published an article on the increasing use of 'baby' as a term of endearment between lovers. Thanks to the New Republic's research (Googling) we know that calling your loved on 'baby' has been around for a while "According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was in the seventeenth century that 'baby' was first used as a romantic term of endearment."
They covered the reasons why the name baby, babe or sweetheart might be used as romantic nicknames but they didn't cover why we find it so ANNOYING. So we have done our own research and here are our reasons why couple's baby talk unsettles us...
They covered the reasons why the name baby, babe or sweetheart might be used as romantic nicknames but they didn't cover why we find it so ANNOYING. So we have done our own research and here are our reasons why couple's baby talk unsettles us...
1. .I Do. Not. Get. when people use animal names to refer to people they like. Especially when those names are the names of baby animals. Or, even worse, mixed with 'cute' annotations. Kittie-pie? Baby bear? Panda-wanda? Argh. Just keep it behind closed doors where nobody can see you please. Squeamish Louise
2. I don't really care what couples call each other, to be honest - I'm pretty 'you do you' about the whole thing. But years and years and years ago I had a flatmate who used to like eavesdropping on me and my then-boyfriend when we were getting jiggy. Once I twigged what was going on I started doing what I could to put the Listening Tom off his stride (because yes, he was eavesdropping in that way). My moment of glory? Bouncing on the bed doing my best When Harry Met Sally impression while imploring my boyfriend - who was rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter - to ride me like the hamster of love. F1Kate
3. I hate it people call their partner 'baby' or 'babe'. Infantilising the person you are (presumably) sleeping with just squicks me out. I want my partners to be strong and independent, not something that can't even feed or dress itself! Gareth
4. I don't like the transferable nature of terms of affection. I always wondered how many other women my boyfriend had infantilised with the word baby. I did have a boyfriend who called me Poo and as weird as it sounds that was infinitely better than baby. I knew I was the only Poo in his life. Squeamish Nicola
5. I am not sure where baby came from, I thought it was reserved for pop songs but now it seems to be the term-of-affection-du-jour. While you can, of course, call your partner/s whatever you like there are some that I believe very firmly are reserved for dinner-ladies to use on their juvenile favourites in the lunch queue. These are: Sweetheart (pronounced'sweeeed-aaart'), Darling, Honey and Love. Of course as I said before you can address your loved one however you like. I will however think your love isn't true. Squeamish Kate
2. I don't really care what couples call each other, to be honest - I'm pretty 'you do you' about the whole thing. But years and years and years ago I had a flatmate who used to like eavesdropping on me and my then-boyfriend when we were getting jiggy. Once I twigged what was going on I started doing what I could to put the Listening Tom off his stride (because yes, he was eavesdropping in that way). My moment of glory? Bouncing on the bed doing my best When Harry Met Sally impression while imploring my boyfriend - who was rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter - to ride me like the hamster of love. F1Kate
3. I hate it people call their partner 'baby' or 'babe'. Infantilising the person you are (presumably) sleeping with just squicks me out. I want my partners to be strong and independent, not something that can't even feed or dress itself! Gareth
4. I don't like the transferable nature of terms of affection. I always wondered how many other women my boyfriend had infantilised with the word baby. I did have a boyfriend who called me Poo and as weird as it sounds that was infinitely better than baby. I knew I was the only Poo in his life. Squeamish Nicola
5. I am not sure where baby came from, I thought it was reserved for pop songs but now it seems to be the term-of-affection-du-jour. While you can, of course, call your partner/s whatever you like there are some that I believe very firmly are reserved for dinner-ladies to use on their juvenile favourites in the lunch queue. These are: Sweetheart (pronounced'sweeeed-aaart'), Darling, Honey and Love. Of course as I said before you can address your loved one however you like. I will however think your love isn't true. Squeamish Kate
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