Elderly racists, elderly homophones, elderly misogynists -- none of them wishes to stop for a moment and even try to imagine how other human beings feel with their condescending and in no way earned display of a purported superirority of their "normalcy" of being a male, heterosexual member of the dominant race and ethnicity in a given location.

[edited] Or perhaps they managed to poison the new generations too...

Mancunian,

using expressions like "dear Boy" can come across as humiliating, degrading and rude, and it leaves the impression that you as the one using it feel yourself "superior". No wonder that you have received some nasty responses here. I would not accept it either and pay back in like manner. But this in itself is petty stuff, so why not perhaps just avoiding this term altogether? Nothing personal, and no offence intended, just my personal opinion.

Hello Turnoi
With respect, I have been using expressions like 'Dear Boy' all my adult life, and I will not change for you or any-body else-sign of endearment If anything.

When have I ever complained about nasty responses? If you operate in this environment where posters have been reduced to quivering jellies with whole cackles of SH's shrieking out 'Groveling Weasels' you expect to get nasty responses- all good stuff to me Hahahah. Now we have a bizarre situation of one of the SH stalwarts having rebranded himself-probably back in China..all good stuff hahaha

No worries as whatshisname would say, no offence taken, and I alweays value your responses- am I right or am I right.

Gloves off? hahaha.