I bring this up because of a reader post from earlier this week ("He refers to me as Ole Girl...") about a troublesome pet name that kind of reminded me of a horse (as a lady who's been compared to a farm animal against my will, I totally sympathized). It made me start thinking about the randomness of pet names in general, about how these strange labels, which are mostly meant as terms of adoration, just seem to happen. And how, once they do, they can be a permanent fixture in the relationship, next to impossible to shake without hurting the other person's feelings/having an annoying fight.
Have you ever been called a pet name you really hated? (If so, spill it!) And: Did you ever get out of it?
*Incidentally I earned "My Lil' Cow" during a period where I had put on some weight. The boyfriend in question sometimes used it--DURING MEALS. I eventually lost the weight, dumped the guy, and found a much better replacement who called me "Honey."
