I’m not much into using derogatory terms and making them a compliment or endearment. I guess Blacks calling each other niggas is considered cool amongst themselves but maybe I’m old school since I think anything related to “nigger” is bad. Ditto “bitch” and “ho.”

These days I seldom even swear and I’ve noticed that the people I like don’t either. Not that I mind swearing all that much, it’s just that I don’t really feel in the mood to. There’s this one guy at work who is so much fun to be with – big smile, great energy – we were talking about not swearing since he noticed I say, “Dang!” I forget what he says but I think he uses something like “Rats!”

My kinda guy!

I first came across the use of “bitch” as a term of endearment when I left home in 1980. “You bitch!” would be said, with a smile, as an appreciative response to someone’s witty, catty comment. I now think it came out of gay male speech.

I hope the guys in the examples you cite were using the word ironically. It still sounds disrespectful to me to be shouting it in public, though. There’s a middle-finger attitude being displayed, like making out on a park bench; something’s lost when intimacy crosses over into exhibitionism. And that’s a bitch.

Lo-ove the video you chose to accompany the piece!

I don’t think it’s really the right thing to call a woman you love that. I heard former Knick Stephon Marbury call his wife his “good ho” on TV during an interview.

I figured you were OK because I saw your tweets on Twitter.