You know, the type that some dirty / cheesy guy calls a woman to be disrespectful, or sarcastic - whether they mean to be or not. Not too dirty, not like swearing or anything. I was thinking more along the lines of 'sugar'. But, I felt sugar isn't right. It isn't.. sarcastic enough.. He is mocking her, laughing at her... Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
Thanks.. I am introducing a character that no-one should like, and figure a name to make the reader cringe slightly will work so well for his role. Of course, I don't want to repulse them, so I want to play nice, but it still needs to be condescending.
My first question is what does the woman look like? You can come up with a lot of condescending nicknames based on the way a persons looks.
Another approach is to put her down through her profession, e.g. Nancy Drew for a female police officer, or Suzy Homemaker for any woman who runs a business out of her home. Trivialize a person's life work and you insult them to the core.
List of nicknames that Sawyer has used on Lost: (From http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_nicknames#By_James_.22Sawyer.22_Ford) Hot Lips, Cupcake, Red, Frenchy, Lollipop, Sweetheart, Barbie, Freckles, Puddin', Shortcake, Sugarpop, Sweet Cheeks, Blondie. As well as quite a few others that you might find interesting. I'd also go with what Cogito said. Mockingly comparing someone to a fictional character is always a good way to go.
Puddin' butt, butterball, thunderthighs... these are names that I use on my wife when I wanna get my face slapped!
If there's some history between the two characters, there's the acquired nickname. In middle school I was "Ding-Dong" because of the ding-dong cracker snacks I ate almost everyday; only someone from my middle school would know that. If they're strangers, the man could plainly call her "woman". That's both condescending and hinting at misogyny.
I think it's really going to depend on several things about your male character. What country is he from? What region of that country...like the difference between a man from California, Alabama, or New York, even upstate NY compared to NYC, or Boston, or Maine. They all have their sayings, their attitudes, their sarcastic types of nicknames for people. His lot in life will also dictate his speech patterns, did he grow up low class, middle class, or rich? What is he now in his adult years? What profession is he in? Does he hate all women or is he only mean to this one person? If he hates all women, why? How big is his part? Is he a walk on character, an incidental? Or is he a main or secondary character? These things are all going to decide what his nickname for someone would be. Would it be a generic kind of name like "sweetheart" said in a sarcastic tone, thinking Sawyer or Han Solo. Or is it more spiteful to this specific person, in which case a more personalized nickname specifically pointing out a flaw that he sees in her. The latter will depend on her description as to what might be picked on.
I like "dollface" and similar because of the double-meaning. He's saying she's pretty but it also illustrates a perception that women are just objects or toys to him.
You could have her tell him her name but he refuses to use it. For example, if her name is sarah, he calls her sally or samantha.
if she's blonde he could call her Barbie many blonde women hate it (well who wouldn't hate being called a dolls name)
