Babes. It is a word I hate more than any other. (Except Vengaboys, but that’s a proper noun and doesn’t really count.)
It is a diminutive of a diminutive of a diminutive. Calling someone “baby” is bad enough, but the reduction to “babe” and, in a final attempt at endearment, “babes” makes my toes curl to the point of drawing blood in the balls of my feet. What baffles me is why people stop at the third diminution. What about “babesy”, for instance? Or “babesette”?
I have a message for people who use “babes”:
Life is not a Purple Ronnie cartoon.
Le Poulet Noir 
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 at 5:52 pm |
Phrases I hate:
1. Hey you (girls use it as a greeting)
2. It was the **** from Hell.
3. I felt it in my heart of hearts
4. Girls calling people ‘mate’
5. What are you like? (chirruped usually)
6. Referring to one’s partner as ‘this one’ eg Let’s get this one home
7. The misuse of the world literally. “He was literally laughing his head off.”
8. The double negative (“You don’t know nuffink” – you’re quite right)
9. The misuse of the phrase ‘may be’ in journalism. “Paul McCartney may be an ex-Beatle, but he…” He IS. There is NO doubt.
10. Referring to something as ‘random’ which is plainly not. “God, that night was so random.”
I also hate that baby wave thing that people who have spent far too long around babies do. Kill them all.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 at 6:47 pm |
I once worked in a restaurant where everyone called everyone babe and it was confusing. kim
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 at 11:37 pm |
krk – was it a pork restaurant?
satchelmonkey – I’m wary of agreeing too heartily for fear of turning into Lynne Truss, but the use of “random” to mean “obscure” is grossly irritating. Those who do so may well be witches. To be on the safe side, they should be burnt.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 at 1:35 pm |
I find “Hon” (as in “Honey”, not “Honorable”) particularly nauseating.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 at 2:25 pm |
Indeed. Unless the person’s girlfriend is German (cf Milton Jones, circa 1999).
Monday, July 9, 2007 at 10:58 pm |
grammatical stalinist i may be, but i give automatic dispensation to anyone who calls me ‘babe’, ‘babes’ or even ‘bab’ – which is our regional variant – for the following, very sad reason:
http://rivergirlie.wordpress.com/2007/03/30/my-big-issue/
Friday, July 13, 2007 at 4:17 pm |
Ya, ‘babes’ is Soooooooooooo early naughties. I mean, who doesn’t use ‘love chunks’ now? Really. What are you like?
Saturday, September 8, 2007 at 8:40 pm |
How about Babette?
You might ruin her feast