Maybe I am one of the few, but, I do not object to the term 'honey', 'sugar', etc. If they were meaning to be rude, the term would start with another letter of the alphabet, closer to the beginning.

I guess we all have our peculiarities. I dislike titles, don't want anyone to call me by my professional title, and if it is going to be a 'relationship', I like to get first names on the table promptly. My reasoning is similar to Giselle's and I would guess I am old enough to be her mommy.

In college, we called ALL professors by their first name. All of them. That was what they wanted/professed to want, anyhow. That was in the mid 80s. In the latter 80s I began my career with an insurance company. The boss made everyone, but me, call him by his last name. He was branch manager, I was an adjuster( the only position considered psuedo-management, other than the other manager)...he made all the inside 'girls' call him Mr. That was totally about submissiveness, and maybe peculiar to his ate-up personality. The other manager in the office had people call him by his first name. I will share with you, at least in that office, the relationships the men had with their workers was very different- people got along well with the first name guy. Again, that could be just personality styles.

Today, the women I work with have finally accepted my wishes to be called J over the loud speaker, not Ms. H. It peeved me. Do they respect me any less? No. (it is debatable they respect me at all). I don't like formality. I am kind of an 'insta-friend' with people, and that can be difficult for others to deal with....but, it is me.

ES- I would call you whatever you wished to be called, as long as you fed me.