Terms of endearment

Can’t wait to see you, lamb chop.

What is your favorite term of endearment for your spouse?

Chances are it is honey unless you want a favor, and it escalates to sweetheart or sweetie.

But whatever you call him or her, it probably involves food. Sweet food. Like Muffin.

According to The New Republic, the term sweetheart came into vogue in 1290 when it was used exclusively as an endearment until the movies used it for irony.

Then, there is sugar, sugar pie, and sugar baby. Folks have been saying that to their sweethearts since the 13th century, but it only came into use as a term of address in 1930. Come here, Sugar.

So it is easy to imagine why pumpkin, sugar, and pudding have all been endearing, but how do we explain cabbage? It is French.

The animal world contributes sweet nothings, according to Grammarly Blog. In the Arabic-speaking world, your love could be a Gazelle, and in Thailand who would be offended if they were called Little Elephant?

But, who in the world would want to be called a prawn? Not many people even in 1895, but there is a literary citation: “I expect you’re a saucy young prawn, Emma,” says a character in William Pett Ridge’s Minor Dialogues (1895).

The millennials totally left the food realm with the popular titles: Bae, Boo, and Babygirl.

And, lamb chop? Baby boomers will remember the famed ventriloquist and puppeteer Shari Lewis. Lewis and her hand puppet Lamb Chop appeared on television during the 1950s through the 1990s. Her puppet was described as a feisty, intuitive 6-year-old girl.