My daughter turns 42 in less than two weeks. I have called her Sugar Pie and Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch since the moment she was born. Of course, her name rhymes with pie so that justifies it. I also confess it was inspired by this song:
She still loves both the endearment and the song. (Though, sigh, she has changed the name.) It has caused a song I've liked since I was a little girl to mean all that much more to both of us. We hear the song, we just smile and look at each other.
Yes, that's a specific term of endearment for a very loved one but I am a Northerner aka Native New Yorker (albeit upstate) and have always used hon, dear, sweetie, etc. I do not over-react to words. Tone that is hostile or condescending is met with like but with all the truly awful things that go on in the world, why overreact to a word - a nice word at that. I mean these are nice, flattering adjectives.
As for the b-word, I am the first one to call myself that. I am a NY B and proud of it. This is my theme song:
Even tho I'm a teetotaller so I sure don't spend my evenings with that past time! I am, however, stone cold sober, as a matter of fact. But call me B any time. Especially these days when my grandson's generation uses that word to refer to young ladies. I'm fine with being made to feel younger even though I fear I cannot live up to that image.
Have a good day, hon.