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AIBU

Do you mind being addressed with Aw Bless!

(154 Posts)
Siptree Mon 06-Oct-25 16:08:56

There's a thread on Mumsnet at the moment in which the OP addresses the situation of a neighbour ( in her 60's) was constantly addressed as darling or Bless and Aw bless by nursing staff in hospital and didn't like it. I find Aw Bless, so irritating and patronizing and so many people are using it lately. I'm not a toddler or a pet. I'm not keen on love or darling but can grin and bear it. Mums netters seem to think it's unreasonable not to like these 'endearments' . I wonder if it's because they are young and will change there minds when they are older. What do Grans think?

pinkprincess Mon 06-Oct-25 19:50:09

A person I know ( male and half my age) often says ''Aw bless you'' when I make a statement abut something. Ii irritates me very much, especially from him.If I described him on here it may out me as he is the most condescending and annoying person around.

pably15 Mon 06-Oct-25 19:48:58

Don't care either, I could be called worse.

Celieanne86 Mon 06-Oct-25 19:47:18

I have an excellent carer, she’s young, late thirties and an experienced kind person who looks after me. She treats me with respect, calls me by my name after I told her she could, and always refers to me as Mrs C when speaking to someone one else about me eg doctors, phone enquiries. I treat her the same, I use her name and always thank her for her care when she leaves. We always start the day asking each other how we are and usually end up laughing. It’s a mutual respectful relationship and I would hate it to be any other way. I always give her a small gift on her birthday and Christmas and she brings me flowers or a plant she thinks I would like. I might be old but I still have feelings and having been in the funeral business for years I always treated my grieving families with respect and to me it’s just total good manners.

Visgir1 Mon 06-Oct-25 19:34:21

Couldn't care less, what I'm called.
I often use these words myself.

AmberGran Mon 06-Oct-25 19:24:04

I stopped worrying about things like that a long time ago. So long as people are not being deliberately rude I answer to most things.

I do think it's quite hard to know what to call people you don't know, especially when you don't know their names. People being what they are there will always be somebody who objects to whatever you say.

Kandinsky Mon 06-Oct-25 18:44:25

‘Aw bless’ is just so patronizing. It’s like they think you’re useless.

Calling someone ‘hun is so chavvy. Thankfully, I don’t know anyone personally who would use it.

denbylover Mon 06-Oct-25 18:40:13

I’m with Siptree….’Babe” makes my stomach curl! All the others can, at a stretch, take or leave but rather leave.

annodomini Mon 06-Oct-25 18:11:47

It's toe-curling; but I accept it with a reluctant smile and change the subject.

Astitchintime Mon 06-Oct-25 18:08:54

I don’t like being called hun, babes, sweetie, and I consider ‘bless you’ is only appropriate after someone has sneezed! Usually, if I’m addressed thus I generally respond by saying “ahh, that’s nice”! Viewers of Mrs Brown’s Boys will know what that means. 🤪

Although I don’t actually object to being called love by people that I know.

Maggiemaybe Mon 06-Oct-25 17:48:40

I’m fine with any of the endearments, in fact I quite like them. After all they’re kindly meant, and I remember feeling indulgent towards the old folk myself when I was a young know all thing. It’s better than being thought of as a grumpy old git anyway!

Curlywhirly Mon 06-Oct-25 17:21:03

fancythat

I like them all.

Yep, I like them all too. Here in the NW it's pretty normal to call people love. It's not meant to be patronising, it's just a way of being friendly.

Grammaretto Mon 06-Oct-25 17:15:22

I've heard it recently. I told someone my DH had died ,--deliberately didn't say I lost him-- and got an Aw Bless.
I squirmed but they meant well and it was an attempt to show empathy, I guess.

I got a hug from a young woman who had shared a seat with me on the train yesterday. We had a really deep conversation about God and spirituality as we travelled from London to Darlington.

ferry23 Mon 06-Oct-25 17:02:51

Hate it - and hun and anything similar.

Also this ridiculous idea of putting kisses (xxx) at the end of a message when it's in a business context. Making an appoinment with a physio, who replies with a kiss at the end of the text. Would they kiss me if I went into their premises to make an appointment? I don't think so.

fancythat Mon 06-Oct-25 16:59:43

I like them all.

Mollygo Mon 06-Oct-25 16:57:09

Not happened so far, but when/if it does, I hope I remember this.

Lathyrus3
I have been known to wave my hand vaguely and reply in a sanctimonious voice

‘And bless you too, my child.”

😁

Gin Mon 06-Oct-25 16:51:28

I am pretty ancient but get very annoyed with people treating me like a child most often by those in a medical profession. However, I did laugh today when a consultant at the hospital ended a phone call to me with ‘take care darling’. He was lovely, an Asian with a very strong accent and it just sounded so funny.

Scottishthistle Mon 06-Oct-25 16:50:05

Agree, would be irritating 🙄

Aveline Mon 06-Oct-25 16:44:32

If some says 'aw bless' to you, you could say,' I didn't notice sneezing!'

Siptree Mon 06-Oct-25 16:38:41

Ha ha! As I expected Grans are not keen at all. Bukkie, yes Hun is awful too and Babe now I think of it.

Flippinheck Mon 06-Oct-25 16:37:10

When I had my cataracts done last year one of the nurses responded with ‘bless you,’ after I answered each of her questions. I found it totally patronising. I don’t like being called ‘love’ either. It feels to me as though people who use these terms see me as mentally lacking. If only they knew what I was thinking about them.

Allira Mon 06-Oct-25 16:36:39

Lathyrus3

I have been known to wave my hand vaguely and reply in a sanctimonious voice

‘And bless you too, my child.”

😁
I'll remember that one!

Allira Mon 06-Oct-25 16:36:05

A GP said "Aw Bless" to me when I went to her with sciatica but had no advice whatsoever to offer.

I could have blessed her!

Lathyrus3 Mon 06-Oct-25 16:34:34

I have been known to wave my hand vaguely and reply in a sanctimonious voice

‘And bless you too, my child.”

Bukkie Mon 06-Oct-25 16:33:08

It does me too Aveline. The one I hate most of all though is being called 'hun'.

Aveline Mon 06-Oct-25 16:19:45

It makes me feel as though the speaker thinks I'm thick. Big mistake.