The British have a reputation for coolness and formality, so visitors are often surprised at our use of familiar forms of address such as dear, love and darling, even with strangers. The visitor should take note of these 'terms of endearment' as they give important clues about how the speaker sees you or the sort of relationship he wishes to establish. You may be called: Duckey, Precious, Honeybunch, Treasure, Bunny, Angel, Teddy Bear, Chu-chi Face, Lamb, Lambkin, Dearest heart, Cherub, Poppet, Handsome, Big Boy, Star or my Little Sausage. Also, English- speakers enjoy playing with words, so if your name for example is 'Tommy' you may find yourself variously called Tommy, Tom-Tom, Tommikins, Tommy-Wommy or Tommy-Poohs.

A word of warning, however. The best response to such familiarity is a pleasant smile. Foreigners who attempt to respond in kind with their own terms of endearment invariably fall into the 'literal translation error', using expressions (pudding-head, doggy, wetleg, fish-eyes, roastbeef, etc.) which simply do not exist in English. This can cause great offence!





Expressions to learn
Good morning, Sir, Madam.

Avoid saying
Excuse me, but I am not your 'little sugarplum!'