It's just kind of natural to pet name people you love. I have a sneaking suspicion that those who don't like it may be bitter singles.

I voted nauseating but it really depends on the situation. However, my sister-in-law is nauseating b/c she puts on the fakest voice to go along with the hooooonnnnneeyyyyy. So annoying.

hahahaha with you, b1uebunn. I'll refer to my man by "babe" or "baby", but try not to that much in 'public' (around friends, family, etc), and then reserve the really cutesy private ones for when its just us two

Depends on the nickname. I call my husband "Frank the Oppressor" or FTO for short. My lesbian best friend made a comment when we started dating, "Oh yeah Bri. I forgot. You're a sexual fan of the oppressors." I don't think it's especially nauseating.

But yeah, some can just get stupid. Oh, and Tres, thanks for taking a public stand on baby talk for adults! I am also strongly against.

Cute. My dad has always called my mom "Sweets," which I think is the sweetest nickname. I just call my boyfriend "hon" and when I do that, he knows I'm either drunk or trying to get him to do something he doesn't want to do!

When it is just the two of us, I usually call him some really stupid nickname. He usually calls me the same thing I call him. They are unisex names, basically. In public, we either don't say anything or just say "baby" occasionally. I also use "hon" at home. Nothing major.

Pet names are not nauseating at all, it's natural after a while. However, it does become annoying when you do it over and over again, like tres said:

Babe?
What babe?
Can you get me the paper, babe?
Sure, babe.

THAT is irritating. But occasionally in public, it's not a major deal.

awww, I think pet names are cute! I call my boyfriend "schnoogum boogum" and he calls me "cuppy cake"

I don't care what other people call their SO because it has nothing to do with me. That's between the two of them. I call my bf by his name or some variation of his name and he calls me babe occasionally, but mostly he calls me by my name. I don't find pet names or adult baby talk nauseating. I think it's sweet.

Adult baby talk and goofy pet names is fine in private..but in public? Nauseating!

I call my hubby, "Honeybunny" (it makes me think of Pulp Fiction..hehe) when we're alone - NEVER in public.

My husband calls me sweetheart a lot, and I'll call him hun on occasion. I don't think there is anything wrong with terms of endearment- I'm with b1uebunn- I think the majority of people who think it's nauseating to call your SO sweetheart are just bitter or jealous.

OH, as for adult baby talk -- we don't have baby talk per say, but we speak in a very different way in public than we do in private (unless it's a serious conversation). I thought I was weird for doing that, too.

The worst is "babe" pronounced "beb." The worst! I don't know what's wrong with me because I'm pretty stoic, but, um, I can't help but call people pet names. Not in public or anything. But one-on-one, it's a cute little insidery thing.

I've always called my boyfriend 'honeybee' - I can't remember how it starte,d though!

in the privacy of our home? sure. in front of people? nauseating.

Chrstne, most people probably speak to their significant others in a way that's different than how they speak to others. My husband and I certainly do that. It's a softer, sweeter tone. My husband's voice is deeper when he's speaking to others than when he's speaking to me. I love his voice for me. Just like I love his smiles that are just for me.

And we call each other baby and babe all the time. I actually have just started noticing how much we use it! Chrstne, I think we would annoy you! We try not to do it so much in public though. He likes to call me "princessy-type girl," which I actually like, and I sometimes call him "honeybunny." bluebellknoll, I didn't know that was from Pulp Fiction; I've never seen it!

Haha, my petnames actually tended to be considered more derogatory, but they were definitely used as terms of endearment. My first boyfriend I called Boogerface. My longest relationship was with someone I affectionately called Butthead. I'm currently seeing someone and I call him Hater.

i've gotten so used to calling my boyfriend "baby" all the time that i never call him by his real name. i use the more embarrassing pet names when we're alone

My husband and I call each other "B", most people don't know what it stands for, but we do. I have had some people take offense to him calling me B because they think it means something offensive. (says more about them and their perception of him than anything). After so many years together it has just become natural...to the point we hardly ever say each others actual names. No big deal

I call my boyfriend "tigerbear" and he calls me "kitten". It's more of an inside joke and we don't call each other that in public.

Nice, if it's simple and not said in some obnoxious version of baby talk. If you're crooning the word "schnookums" like you're talking to an infant though, you deserve a swift kick in the ass.

I love petnames! My husband and I definitely use them all the time (in private, not so much in public). I think they're a cute way to show affection.

I like pet names, too. My husband and I have pet names for each other. The names came about naturally.

The only time I don't like pet names is when my husband uses it when we argue. His pet name for me is endearing to me, and when he uses it when we argue, I get conflicting feelings about it. It's awkward for me.

i probably do it in public too much - actually i know we do - but i can't help it. i never call him by his real name, to me he's 'baby'!! unless i'm mad. then i call him by his first name
i love petnames too much.

I think I can speak for many when I say that feeling nauseated by pet names has nothing to do with being a bitter single. I would be bitter if I was in a relationship with someone who calls me a stupid name.

Yup, I love our pet names. I must admit that we do keep it on the tamer side in public than in private. For example, in public, I'll call him 'honey'. In private, I might call him something cuter like 'hon bun bun'.

I always thought it was weird when my college roommate and her boyfriend would call each other 'hun', but now years later, I'm using pet names with my longtime boyfriend, too! I think it really just happens naturally, whether you like it or not, once you've been in a relationship for a while. He calls me baby and I call him babsies- but of course, that's just for private use.

Depends on the nickname. Too cutesy=gross!

no s.o. right now but this all reminds me of the dinner party episode of the office. where jan and michael keep calling each other babe. im partial to the use of 'dear' for any man im with.

I'll do it one on one I love to call those I love "gordos" which if fatty but in my country is like calling someone sweetie. I always call does I love gordis or gordo.

I will call my boyfriend Pumpkinhead or just Pumpkin if we're around other people.
He doesn't really use pet names with me.. I wish I'd get a 'babe' or 'hon' every once in a while!

my ex-boyfriend used to call me sweetie, but that was mostly in written messages. I didn't call him by any pet name, but I was tempted to call him babe on occasion.

Depends on the depth of the relationship and the name. An ex called me poptart and I loved it. lol

i don't mind what you call each other when you're alone together but in public please keep in out of earshot or tone it down. I have this one friend who just makes me nauseous when i hear her call/talk about her boyfriend, her "sweet honey bunny boo bear, her one and only" that is too extreme!!!! i can handle honey, hun, love, babe... just please not to excess...

i used to call this woman i was talking to chouette or chou chou which means cabbage in french, which is kind of the equivalent of sweetpea, and she used to call me doux doux which is a carribean term of endearment. if we went into the baby talk arena or went overboard like loverickii's friend i would've nauseated MYSELF before anybody else felt like gagging. i think pet names are cute but some people can just be ridiculous.

@spacekatgal-that is one of the most hilarious and witty pet names i've ever heard of.

I tend to call everyone I love by pet names even my pets. I guess I'm weird but that's how people around me know that they're special to me. I don't usually use super cutsie things so I can say them in public and nobody really knows. I mean sure I call my husband babe sometimes but I also call him pickle sometimes. I call my mom cheese because she's like the big cheese of our family and sometimes cheeseburger. There's no hard and fast rules. i think pet names are nice but I hate to see couples out who are using them to control each other i.e. are you really going to have that extra piece of cheesecake dear, or you're looking a little sloppy today hon. I just don't like that at all

Cute but depends on the pet lol

I just think it depends on the nickname . Although, I hate the term "baby" or "babe". Urgh

He's my Bubba and I'm his Babe/baby hehe

i love pet names and i am creative in making one (IF I HAVE A PARTNER.. boooooooooo! single life sucks!)

I call my S/O "Der-Bear" (his name is Derek and he's kinda hairy)
But I would NEVER say it in a baby talk voice. Yuck.

My ex's have ranged from calling me sugar and sweetpea, and my current lover calls me cutie occasionally, but hates them as a rule.