Pet names are meant to signify affection between couples but for many they actually make the skin crawl.
According to a new study commissioned by Siteopia.com some pet names are better than others.
‘Babe’, ‘Sweet cheeks’ and ‘Snookums’ which are all quite common are apparently the three most hated pet names among couples in the UK.
Also on that list are ‘Pickle’ and ‘Baby cakes.’ Not that that’s surprising considering one is a rather ugly looking vegetable and the other is the name of a highly irritating song by a band called 3 Of A Kind.
‘Muffin’ and ‘Cupcake’ made the most hated list as well but then again these are things we like to eat, not be called.
Nice to eat but would you like to be called cupcake all the time?
Despite not liking to be called them, the research found that only one in five use their other half’s actual name, which potentially means there are quite a few annoyed boyfriends and girlfriends out there.
However one in seven did admit that they used pet names in order to wind up their partners. You might not get away with that one for too much longer after they read this.
The three main reasons that people gave for not liking certain pet names were that they sounded false, were too soppy or caused offence.
But not all of the common names were disliked. The most acceptable terms of affection were found to be ‘Gorgeous’, ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Lovely.’ No wonder, flattery is a rather wonderful invention!
He knows what pet name to use to put a smile on her face!
A spokesman for Siteopia.com explained the reasoning behind the survey. He said: ‘There’s a lot of power in a name and each one throws up different connotations so it’s important to know which ones will flatter a partner and which are definitely not going to have the right effect.’
So the next time you go to use a pet name for your other half, make sure you use the one for your desired effect…
