Terms of endearment. Calling someone names like dear, sweetheart, baby, sugar-bum, sweetie, punkin, etc. Between you and your boyfriend/girlfriend, I think its totally and completely fine. Sometimes its even cute. Sometimes you can use them within your own family, like between child/parent, grandparent/grandchild, etc. I have no complaints there.
However, I do have a problem when terms of endearment are used between the same gender, mostly girls, and specifically at me. There is this lady I work with (whom I love to death; I think she's great!) but she calls me honey and sweetheart all the time. Not only does it make me feel like I'm five, but it makes me super uncomfortable. I am not your sweetheart and you are not my grandmother. You're like 5 years older than me. Its not like I have anything against her personally or this makes me dislike her, but when a girl calls me something like honey, sweetheart, babycakes, etc., it gives me the creeps and makes me want to run away screaming with my arms flailing all over the place.
