Women: What do you think of these specially applied terms?

Question

Broad, Dame, Trick, Tramp, Toots, etc. etc. Do you consider these names sexist? A lot of them were used back in the '40s/'50s & even further back? I was called a "shapely dame" once by this older gentleman at a jazz club & was not flattered at all. What do you think?

Answer 1

Hunk, bruiser, stud, champ, chief, dipstick, ect. are examples of seemingly innocent words that people call men, like the list you gave, but that are condescending.  In nursing, I saw cops and especially male nurses and docs address male patients with those words and they spoke with an edge of condescending contempt.  As much as I hated giving up addressing patients as "hon" or "stinkerfritz" (children), I forced myself to drop all the social nicknames and terms of endearment because I did some research into the matter and that edge of condescending contempt or subtle reduction, as in the diminutizing of one's own younger brother by calling him "baby brother" even when he is an adult, is actually psychologically harmful.  It's better not to use such terms.

Answer 2

Not being American, most of these terms are not used outside of the US, fortunately.  Also fortunate is that all of them, AND the male terms Patois mentions are considered so cringe-worthy that few people will ever use them.  Can't say I heard them in the US either when I have been there, though, from an outsiders perspective, I automatically link these terms to certain cities: Vegas, New York and Chicago.  How true that is, I can only speculate.

Condescending terms of endearment are just a power-play tool, often unconsciously used.  I have to admit they are mostly used by police in my experience: doctors, male nurses and the like where I have worked try to be more professional.

Answer 3

I wouldn't put them up there with w***e or sIut, however I do view them in a negative light.

Answer 4

No moreso than calling guys Dudes,Guys, etc.

I think you need a hobby.

Answer 5

I had a guy call me toots once; it was strange.  When someone told me I was shapely I cordially thanked them; it's no biggie, had that got a bit handy that would have been another story.

Answer 6

i think you are over reacting, chill. or was it cuz he called you fat?  

Answer 7

Okay--Broad, Trick and Tramp are pretty bad, but Toots and Dame are not offensive terms.

Answer 8

Yeah, they're sexist.  

Answer 9

All depends on the usage, and the relationships. I don't care for some of the terms, but I don't get offended by words too easily.