Bristol Council has suggested its workers don’t use local endearments when talking to visitors or callers. No more will you be called “my babby” or “my treasure” if you call the council to query your council tax bill.
I must say I’ve never been on the receiving end of a Bristol endearment though I was called “my duck” by a beefy bus driver in Sheffield once. I was told later by a native of the city that it was standard local operating procedure but I’m still not sure.
I hope the councils suggestion doesn’t contribute to the death of the local dialect or regional linguistic peculiarity in general. I’ve always liked the Bristol accent and am always soothed by a skilled practitioner when I call up to arrange insurance or re-fix my mortgage.
