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BAB,when are you too old to be 'Bab'

A

Alberta

Super Moderator
Staff member
Is the word' Bab' exclusive to Birmingham.
When I started work age 16 the older women called me Bab.
I worked in the indoor market (Bull ring) in my 30s and everyone called me Bab.
I'm now in my 60s and a man who lives in our road, not much older than me, always says 'Good morning Bab.
 
It must be a Birmingham word Alberta, nevr herd anybody else say it. :D

Brian calls me Bab sometimes, when he forgets himself. :roll:
 
I was always reffered to as Bab by my mom, I used the word when talking to our dog Penny...........
 
Bab

My husband always refers to his younger sister as 'the bab'. My brother calls the youngest of his children 'me bab'

So where did the saying 'What shall we call the babby Harry, Shall we call it Rover' come from?
 
Bab is a term of endearment you only get called this if some likes you a great deal I can remember my Nan using it for the first time my mate from the old days still uses the word my brother in law still calls is sister bab (my wife) I never gave much thought till it appeared on the forum but it as recalled many memory's of time gone by
nice one
 
Bab is very special

I went exploring in the Bullring when I was visiting Brum earlier this year.
I love to go to the Markets and I went at least three times and came back loaded with stuff each time. I worked in Upper Dean Street years ago for Francis Nicholls (Wholesale Grocery) and just as aside, a couple of years ago I walked through the construction site area for the Bullring and came out on Upper Dean Street...amazingly there was one very derelict building still standing in this street...my old office Francis Nicholls (grocery). It is so sad to see this place. This year I walked down through the completed Bullring to Upper Dean Street and I couldn't believe this derelict building is STILL there. The only thing left from long ago. I had to take a photo. I digress though. I used to go to the markets all the time when I worked there decades ago.

I was called many names by the traders....duck, lovey, dear, darlin' and always Bab. How I truly know when I am "home" in Brum is when I went on those occasions to the Markets and was once again called these names including Bab many many times. In fact I became quite emotional about it at the time. The friendliness is very special and I never met a cross
person at all, in fact I had lots of laughs with the traders.
 
:D It is one of the terms I use all the time at work when talking to the littlies "You ok Bab?', or "Where's it hurt Bab?" :)
I also use it when talking to my grandchildren and have only a few days ago been pulled up by the eldest almost 14 saying
"Niss I'm no baby"
answer " you call me Niss, I call you Bab ok"
answer "Ok Niss" :lol: :lol:
My brother still calls both his youngest and his Grandchildren 'Bab' and my sister when on the phone refer to all our kids and grandkids as 'the babies'
I think it sounds a warm, fuzzy. cuddly word to use
 
I saw that film again a few weeks ago Sue, it was on when I was doing a bit of dusting, and I couldn't turn it off. :D

The scots as well as us Brunnies seem to use the word Babbie, I call all our youngsters Babbie. But Bab for me came from Brian's gran in Nechells.
 
Bab - nicer than the kid?

As I remember, all tots were called 'babbies' in Birmingham and the Black Country - the word 'baby' didn't exist. The youngest had the greatest claim to the title, but all offspring were 'babbies'.
I was an only (unplanned) child, and never much liked the way my parents, when talking between themselves or with other grown ups, referred to me as 'the kid'.
Peter
 
When are you too old to be bab?

I am the youngest in our family by ten years, and was always called Bab
I didn't mind it until I was in my teens then I started to resent it, it wasn't until I was a mother myself that the rest of the family stopped using it.
 
My dad always called his youngest brother our kid.

Here in East Anglia youngsters are called the old boy :?:
 
It is the same in buckinghamshire

Kids are called "Old Boy" and even younger kids afe called "little old boy2
 
Another one...

:D My 92 year old Aunty in Grimsby calls all males 'Mr' even though she knows their names and there may be more than one male in the room. i.e. The Mr has had his tea, Has your Mr gone to the Pub, Mr you look tiered, it sounds very strange when you first hear her saying it.


Chris :)
 
Mr as a title

Fifty years ago, we took personal titles very seriously. As a student in 1954 I got a holiday job with the family business of J W Osborne and Partners, architects, in Colmore Row. The surviving boss was the son or more likely the grandson of the founder, and he was called either 'Mr John Senior' or, behind his back, 'the Old Mr John' (or 'Old John' in confidence of course). His son was the only other partner, and was either 'Mr John Junior', 'the Young Mr John' or 'Young John' respectively.
Quantity Surveyors were worse. Even in the 1960s the staff had to address the boss as 'Sir', and 'Sir 'would address his staff by their surname without a 'Mr'. But 'Sir' always addressed outsiders as 'Mr'. I used to cringe when I was with a surveyor colleague and his boss. 'Sir' would ostentatiously address me as 'Mr Walker' while my surveyor colleague, who usually knew more than I did, was perfunctorily called 'Jones'.
Peter
 
When I left school I worked for a firm of solicitors in Waterloo Street,we were all called Miss.We called the other girls by their christian names in private but never when there were bosses or clients around.We were also not allowed to use slang,I was told off for saying 'OK' on the telephone.
When I went to work in the jewellery quarter the rules were relaxed slightly the bosses would call us by our christian names unless there were clients present.
In those days we would never have dreamt of calling our friends parents or the adult neighbours by their christian names and when people married they usually called their inlaws Mom and Dad or Mr and Mrs.
We were allowed to call my parents friends auntie and uncle.
 
i still call my youngest sister bab and she is 39! i also still use it when talking to my kids aged 28 and 30, and my dad bless him called me bab til the day he died and i'm now 51
 
When ever I phone my niece it's "Hello bab".and she's 42 whenI phone my sister it's "Hello our wench" Bab's is just a term of affection :-* ???
 
My Turkish friend & his wife who run the local chip shop have just had a lovely little baby :) :angel:

Omar my friend calls it His little "KEBABBY",,,, ::),,, :2funny:
 
I don't think we are ever too old to be called "Bab" - I am in my 40's now and my younger brother brother still calls me "Bab".
I visited home last week and walked around the Bull Ring Markets and so many people said "anything else bab?" and called me Bab my sons found it hilarious my youngest son asked me "How does that man know you mum? - Uncle Phil calls you Bab too" he couldn't understand it was an endearing term used by Brummies - he thought all the men were chatting me up - I wish?? ha ha

I guess it's how I know I am home again - when people call me "Bab" - I can't help but smile!! ;D
 
Strange, but when my sons (both born in South London in the early '60s) talk on the phone they always call each other Flid. It meant loser (of a game) whene they were little.
Peter
 
Baby Sister

I am still called "Baby Sister" by my oldest sister 18 years older than me. (I'm a Grandparent!) Two other sisters come between us. My next sister is eight years older than I. So I really am a mid generation baby. All my cousins are more like my Uncles and Aunts. And my neices and nephews are more like my brothers and sisters.
Anne
 
I love being called Bab and I'm nearly at free bus pass stage! It reminds me of when I lived in Brum when I was young and everyone used to call you Bab or Babby. It's a lovely Brummie nickname.
 
Having grown up being called Bab by all my Aunts, Uncles, Nans, Mom and Dad etc.. I still use the term today. My boys, in their late teens, are both Babs as are a lot of people I come in contact with, young and old. I called a fella at work Bab recently and he took exception. So I promised to only call him Grumpy Old Git in future.
 
old sayings

life begins at forty .
and you are never to old to learn
and make the most of your opportuneties, whilst your young .
you only live once .
 
Babs

My dad always called children 'babbies', but he always used 'bab' to any one else - even if they were in their 80's!!!
 
Well, there ya go, thats the answer to the original question "When are you too old to be called Bab ".
The Answer------ NEVER !
 
Sayings

Anyone know where my Mom got this.If we got lost and riding around.She would say,"We are going all around the Reeken" Not sure of spelling,since it was never written.
I haven't heard that expression in ages that I just read:
Playing your Mother Up.
England is a long way off but still right here.
 
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