A
male
age
22-25,
anonymous
writes:Can someone help me understand the meaning of the world "doll"? I am not a native English speaker. My grammar is good but I have trouble understanding some slang. Maybe someone here can help me.When I was backpacking in Australia not long ago, I noticed that sometimes women referred to me as "doll". I was confused because I thought doll means a woman who is pretty. So I thought maybe they they thought I am gay, like homo sexual, because I was travelling with a male friend. They always see my friend in the near of me or walking together with me. I am not gay but of course they didn't know me.They are usually strangers I have never met such as shopkeeper women like the supermarket women. I asked them a question such as where is bread section or where is the toilet and they reply "It is in aisle ten, doll...", "No worries, doll..."It happened to me maybe 20+ times. My travel buddy, he said nobody called him doll. It was just me. One time I was paying the cashier and the supermarket and she greeted me "How are ya, doll?". I noticed she didn't call the guy before and after me doll.I asked some locals what it meant. One Aussie dude who we know quite well said it means the older lady wants to F**K me. I am not sure if he is serious. I think he was joking. Maybe he was just jealous because he keeps trying to pick up girls at the beach but they usually reject him but talk to myself and mine travel buddy instead. That's because we are from a different country and they were curious about our accent and want to know about us. I asked an American girl who was our hostel mate the same question. She said men call her "doll" a lot but she hates it because it is a derogatory term similar to "dumb blonde". But she was also confused. She said usually women receive that slang, not men. So it must be a local aussie slang. But I can find nothing even after much googling. I have been noticing lately when watching USA movies that they sometimes use the word doll. I noticed it never before so maybe I have not been attentive in the past. In these movies usually it's used by a woman towards an other woman, usually they also have a cowboy accent, so I think it is used in southern USA. Usually the recipient is a young woman.I also remembered that the women who called me doll were older women, 40 years and above.
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reader, anonymous, writes (8 January 2020): Sounds like a friendly colloquialism, neither good nor bad. Nothing to get stirred-up about. Like calling someone dear or honey, but in your case it's nicer than referring to you as a "kid." It's not a flirtation, it's generic in nature.
A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (8 January 2020): It is interesting that women can get away with this type of behaviour. Imagine if the tables were turned, and an older male were to call an attractive young female Doll, I bet he would end up in trouble for sexually harassing her, especially in this #metoo era. Just sayin
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A
female
reader, CindyCares  +, writes (8 January 2020):
 Now I am curios, I must hang out with some Australian ASAP; how do they make "doll " sound like " darl(ing) " ? The two words sounds nothing like similar at all ! - ( both with an English pronunciation and an American-English one ; I just checked with the
pronunciation app ). Never mind- back to the OP, who must be a bit of an overthinker.
I have never been to Australia so I don't know for sure, but
I guess they are not different from all the other places where people use terms of endearment frequently. In USA you 'd probably be called honey or sweetie ( particularly if you look young and cute ,- but also just to sound friendly and warm ). In Uk, or in Ireland , I can't count all the times I have been called " my love " by waiters, cab drivers, shop clerks etc. etc. They are not hitting on you ( at least, not all the times : ). It's an habit. A way of saying.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (8 January 2020): If you are good looking and young and handsome, then yes women call you that because they are subtly telling you they find you nice to look at.
You should be happy and bask in it.
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A
female
reader, Aunty BimBim  +, writes (8 January 2020):
 I'm Australian, and older. I don't call anybody "Darl" but I know lots of people who do, and the different accents (different states), can sometimes make it sound like doll.
Slightly younger women DO use the word "doll" … it doesn't mean anything and like "darl" is used for both genders.
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A
female
reader, RubyBirtle  +, writes (8 January 2020):
It's the accent. I think they were saying "darl" rather than "doll". Short for "darling". Just like an American woman might call you "honey" and a British woman might call you "love" or "pet".
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A
female
reader, Andie's Thoughts +, writes (8 January 2020):
 It’s just a term of endearment for strangers or friends, like “darling”, “dear”, “friend”, etc. It doesn’t mean gay, dumb or anything negative. It’s strange that you’re so hung up on it. Just let it go now :)
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A
female
reader, Honeypie  +, writes (8 January 2020):
 I would think it means sweetie. If I guess correctly.
Older women (40+) would NOT call a man they thought was gay, doll. I think it's used for EVERYONE. Like, some Brits use "Love" or "Mate", Americans will use "bro", "buddy", "dude". It's not really towards a specific gender or age. (nor sexuality).
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