Why We Use Cute Little Pet Names for Our Significant Other
There’s a lot more meaning and science behind these private nicknames than couples realize.
Last month I got busted.
My big, burly boxing coach heard me call my wife “Pooki” when she dropped by the gym. I know better than to use her pet name in public, but it just slipped out by accident.
“What did you just call her?” Coach asked with his picket-fence grin.
I tried to shift the topic, but the cat was already out of the bag. And now I can’t live it down at the gym. Whenever we’re training hard, and I’m about to collapse, Coach says,
“Hang in there, Pooki; we’re almost done!”
Our secret love language
Most of us have cute pet names for our loved ones that nobody else gets to hear. These names are a secret language we only use in private.
My wife and I have a whole lexicon of terms we use to show our affection, connection, and declarations of love. But what fascinates me is how these nicknames come about and why we feel the need to use them.
I’d never heard or used the word “Pookie” before in my life until I met my wife. I’ve since learned the nickname “Pooky Bear” is…
