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Archive through February 23, 2004

The TVClubHouse: Archives: 2004 January - Arpil: "Baby girl" is this a cultural term? : Archive through February 23, 2004 users admin

Author Message
Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 9:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I often go to McDonald's in the morning. (Let's say once a week, sometimes twice).

There is usually the same guy at the drive thru. He is this really nice, upbeat black guy. A few times, whether at the screen where he can't see me or at the window where he can, he'll call me "baby girl.' I just find it odd. I am not offended or anything, but just wondering if it is a common "black" term or is it just him?

Spygirl
Member

04-23-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 10:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The white male phlebotomist (sp?) who did my bloodwork last week called me "kiddo" about every 2 sentences.

Don't know about "baby girl"


Wargod
Member

07-16-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 11:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Julie, you just brought a smile to me and reminded me I need to write a letter to a friend today, lol.

You've got me feeling downright chatty! 11 years ago, I met a woman at work. At first we worked completely different hours, usually as i was leaving she was coming in. Then she got put on full time, and almost immediately we became great friends. Talk about the odd couple, lol. She was the same age as my mother, had had a son a year younger than me, grew up in Venice, CA while I grew up in the desert, had been a trouble maker until she was in her 20's while I was always the good kid, lol. And yes, she's black (hates the term African American) and I'm white. She has been part best friend, part advisor, part mama. We bonded one night over a bottle of tequila, the cha cha, and a scrapbook someone had put together after her son was killed. She told me that I reminded her of her son, and from that day on, I call her mama.

Why is this important to your question? LOL. Because of how close we got, we became family. Even though she has nothing at all in common with my family, she is invited to all family functions, and vice versa. Over the years, I have gotten to meet most of her family, and have no problem calling her brother my uncle, or referring her neices and nephews as my cousins and they refer to my family the same.

Anyways, one of her older brothers and I have become close. He lives out of town, so we write back and forth now, but he has always called me baby girl. He also calls me Lawanda but thats a whole other story, lol. Everytime he calls, he asks for baby girl, and MOW will hand me the phone and say its Rudy. Thanks again, Julie, I've been meaning to write to him, and with your little reminder, I'll do that tonight.

Rudy is not the only one to call me that either. While I was working there was an older African American man (I still go visit him a couple times a month now that i don't work) who either calls young women he feels close to baby girl or sweet thing.

So I don't know if its a cultural thing, but the only two people I've ever had call me that were African American men who are older that were friends.

LOL Spy, working with the old folks I got used to be called anything other than my name...kiddo, sweetie, honey, etc. It used to drive me nuts to hear someone I didn't know call me sweetie, but after years of it, I don't even bat an eye.

Max
Member

08-12-2000

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 11:36 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I always thought it was more of a southern thing, not necessarily black or white. :-) I think it's totally on par with "kiddo" or "hon/honey".

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 12:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
i call my daughter 'baby girl'. to me, because of how i know I mean it, i would be flattered if someone called me 'baby girl'. i mean it as a memory of the 'softest pink bundle of sweetsmelling baby that made me want to just do everything possible to make her life wonderful'! to me, 'baby girl' is closer than kiddo or hon. it has warm feelings behind it, IMO.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 12:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I call my little Kassiopeia my "baby girl."

But if anyone called ME "baby girl"? LOL... I'd probably die laughing... I so do NOT look like ANYONE'S baby girl!!!

Being as I'm a Californian, I can't speak to the "it's a Southern thing." But yeah, I would probably take offense. I am WOMAN! Hear me ROAR! <wink>

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 1:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
i'm a californian and i would love to have someone call me 'baby girl'!

Tess
Member

04-13-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 1:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I call Miss Sarah "babygirl" and have since she arrived. Sometimes now she reminds me that she's not a baby anymore, she's SEVEN, but I still call her "Babygirl". I was born and raised in San Francisco and moved to Minnesota as an adult so I don't know about it being a southern term. Then again, I did come out as 55% Dixie in that other thread. :-)

Fluff
Member

07-25-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 2:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I've been called this alot by black men (I'm black myself), so maybe it is a cultural term. I don't know about other regions.

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 2:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
i call my daughter hollybaby it's just a term of affection. my nonna called me babygirl and she was 100% italian.

Zules
Member

08-21-2000

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 2:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
My brother and friend both call me baby girl and they are both Latin.

Either way, I see it as a term of endearment. But, I'm not bothered by honey, sweetie, and the like either. To me it's all in the tone.

What does bother me however is Ma'am!

Ddr
Member

08-19-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 3:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL Zules! Me too!

Tess
Member

04-13-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 3:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm English/Irish mostly and my daughter is Korean so I'm not sure it's a cultural thing at our house.

What really makes me mad is when I'm in a restaurant with a female friend or my daughter (or both) and the server calls us "guys". Really makes my blood boil and it's very hard to really get me angry.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 3:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Tess, that is just a midwest thing. The term is you-guys. Sort of all one word. It is the plural of you. Means the same as y'all or youse guys. It is a gender neutral term. Stop boiling already.

Tess
Member

04-13-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 4:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well shoot. If the guys would say y'all like I do, life would be just ducky.

Jan
Member

08-01-2000

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 4:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL I was watching the Chicago based Starting Over today and thought it was a hoot when one of the AA women called the younger AA woman "baby doll"! First time I have heard it on the show (mind you it has probably been used; I just probably never noticed it before :-)

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 4:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
A lady where I worked in SE Iowa called me babydoll whenever I'd get upset. Didn't bother me a bit. The college I worked in Kansas there was a lady that would call - the first president's wife - and she'd call me honey all the time. I had a big problem with it until I met her and she was just a dream and it never bothered me after that. I've recently moved to the Louisville area and I'm having a REAL HARD TIME getting used to complete strangers calling me honey, sweetie, sugar, etc. I know it's just the way here, but it's just different to me.

Grannyg
Member

05-28-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 5:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have shared this before with SBG. I have always called my DD "sweet babygirl". She is a real sweetie and also my babygirl. Of course at 26 (27 next month) I'm sure she would just as soon me call her something else but after 27 years of calling her that, it's hard to change. LOL

Cas0496
Member

11-20-2003

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 5:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I know if I referred to any of the women here at my work as 'baby girl', I'd be fired for sexual harassment!

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 5:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
OH Grannyg deep down inside I know she likes it. My mom still refers to me as "my baby". I know in my 20's I'd kinda roll my eyes and stuff, but it made me sooooooooooooo happy that she still thought of me that way.

Twiggyish
Member

08-14-2000

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 6:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I think it's a southern thing,too.

Grannyg
Member

05-28-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 6:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Serate, I'm SURE she thinks she has out grown the nickname but being Mom sometimes has it's bonuses and that's one of them. LOL

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 7:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hey CAS, I hear you love it when the men call you that though! LOL

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 8:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
twig, i have never been to the south, except to the airports in texas, and i always say 'baby girl'.

Foliage
Member

10-15-2002

Monday, February 23, 2004 - 9:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I've lived in the south most of my forty + years and I don't even call my youngest daughter "baby girl"!

Ya'll have watched Ya-Ya Sisterhood one too many times