Someone I like doesn’t have to know me for a very long time before he or she is likely to get called by some little term of endearment. It’s a habit of mine and I don’t think too much about it, really. Gender doesn’t matter, age doesn’t matter much, though I’m unlikely to call a woman my own age or an 85-year-old man “luv”. Anyone else, though, is probably fair game, assuming it’s someone I actually like. Hell, even species doesn’t matter; I’m as likely to say, “Hold still now, darlin’, and give me a big flutter-by smile!” to a butterfly as I am to say it to a human (sans flutter-by bit, of course). One of the words I use quite often is a short form of “honey”; it works when I haven’t heard what Josh said or can’t understand what Elizabeth said (“What, hon?”), and when refusing an offer (“Oh, no thanks, hon”), and when I’m answering a question in the affirmative (“Sure, I’m here, hon–come on over!”) Everyone who knows me is used to it and not bothered by it; it’s just a speech mannerism I use for people I like.

Notice in my examples that I’ve spelt the word, “hon”. That’s because it’s the shortened form of “honey”. H…o…n…e…y. Like the stuff bees make, but we use the word as a term of endearment for people because they’re “just as sweet as honey!” (well, figuratively). Not difficult to spell at all, and yet some people can’t manage to get even the “h, o, n” bit correct.

This is a Hun. Specifically, it’s Attila; arguably the most famous Hun of all. Note that the word “Hun” is always capitalised, and that is because it’s a proper name for a group of nomadic people who migrated into Europe in the 4th century. Led by our good friend Attila down there (followed by some seriously badass mounted warriors), they established an empire.

Look…our man Attila with lots of other Huns. I’m told their speciality was archery; specifically mounted archery. Do not fuck with the Huns!

Unless she is a time traveller from the 4th century, and unless she is carrying a bow and arrow, probably on horseback, and ready to fight for Attila’s cause, YOUR FAVOURITE SISTER IS UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING CIRCUMSTANCES A HUN. Even if you don’t use a capital, she is nonetheless not a “hun” because THE ONLY WAY THAT WORD EVEN EXISTS IS AS A PROPER NAME FOR THE PEOPLE. You may think of your sister as “honey”, and you may shorten it to “hon”, but for the love of Attila, or whatever you revere, STOP calling her “hun” and giving me those horrifying mental images of how a female Hun might have looked. Hm…were there any female Huns? I guess there probably were…where else would they get little Huns to grow into warrior Huns?

Jesus Christ, people annoy me sometimes.