Men like being complimented on their appearance, as well as their personality. Nicknames are a great way to express affection and familiarity. "Cutie" or Good-looking" are great nicknames when flirting, while names like "Babe" or "Honey" are better for committed relationships.
These sentimental words evoke a more genteel time. Don't overdo the old-fashioned vocabulary, however. Referring to a man as your “suitor” may be fun. But calling him your “swain” is just going to make people think he's a swine.
Many women call out to their sexual partners as 'daddy' and this term of endearment has many men thinking that those girls have daddy issues. But, guess what? It is absolutely okay to do so and these women are not dealing with under the cover incest.
While all of their fam and friends call them by their first name (or a shortened version of it), only *you* can dub them “babe” or “bubba.” Your nickname for your boyfriend could refer to a cute inside joke, represent their favorite food (hi, pickle!), or be a sweet and simple term of endearment.
You could stick with just one nickname or switch between variations of a few (sweetheart, sweetie, sweet pea, honey, honey bunny… we could go on). No matter what, their hearts will go pitter-patter when you call them a sweet nickname during your next date night or flirty text convo.
Calling your partner “baby” may be weird, but relationship counselors tend to think using pet names is generally healthy; they help couples create a private world. “When affection is strong, using a proper name seems almost inappropriate,” said psychologist Steven Stosny.
"The word babe has highly adaptive qualities," Sullivan says. "It can be used by any gender, among S.O.'s, even often among friends. We use the term when calling a partner by name isn't strong enough to express all of your feelings.
Playfully teasing him will make him blush a little from embarrassment. Just don't say anything that's too mean, or else you'll hurt his feelings. Sending flirty, playful messages is a great way to turn him on and make him blush.
