The Art of the Australian Insult

Sydney Morning Herald reader Robyn Curtin is sick and tired of shop assistants and cashiers calling her “darl”:

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While it is conceivable there is a substitute for darl, it is inconceivable that a majority of women regard such terms of endearment, particularly to customers, as a standard requirement. There may be many customers who find darl affable, while others find it condescending. For me it has a grating ring to it – call it tacky, whatever. The true meaning of darling, from which darl has hatched, is an affectionate form of address to a loved one. These people don’t love me; they just want my business.”