"Kiddo"=flirty and endearing or friend zone?

[Mangochan]

I've been wondering this for a while. Some people I talk to say it's a flirty/endearing thing while some say it puts you in the friend zone, like his kid sister.

Ive always thought it was cute and I'm pretty certain the guy likes me a lot. (He definitely likes me as we have slept together, but I'm just not 100% sure where we stand beyond a sexual attraction)

He is significantly taller than me (16 inches and I'm average height, haha), and he is 23 and I am 20.

Any thoughts? I mean, yes, we have slept together, so it's not complete friend zone. I am just wondering if him calling me this means I should maybe put down hopes of anything further.

[noerrorsfound]

I'm 19, and a 15-year-old who likes me calls me kid and kiddo.

If you've had sex with him, I don't see it being likely that he thinks of you just as a friend. He's just joking around due to your height and slight age difference.

Go for it!

As for why a younger girl calls me that, I don't know. Maybe my personality.

[SelflessnHumble]

We reap what we sow.
He's already had you in bed...What incentive does he have to get to know you and grow with you?

Kiddo sounds like something a 45 year old Cowboy tells his girlfriend while patting her on the back, biting straw.

[ashley89]

it comes off to me as almost being a little condescending... "kiddo", like you're younger/shorter than him, you know what I mean? or that you are younger and don't know as much as him... that's just what it came off as to me. usually guys use words like baby, babe, sweetie, cutie, etc. but kiddo just doesn't rub me the right way, I would be kinda like what the hell does that mean? haha

[FrostySun]

I think it sounds more like a cute nickname or a pet name other than anything else. I mean, you two have slept with each other and you said that he DOES like you, so there's probably something positive going on in my opinion.I'm 20 and my friends are around my age and usually call me that because of my height, personality, and just to joke, haha.

[Mangochan]

it comes off to me as almost being a little condescending... "kiddo", like you're younger/shorter than him, you know what I mean? or that you are younger and don't know as much as him... that's just what it came off as to me. usually guys use words like baby, babe, sweetie, cutie, etc. but kiddo just doesn't rub me the right way, I would be kinda like what the hell does that mean? haha

That's another thing I've heard. I don't think it would be a condescending thing. We have been friends for over two years now. I feel like this condensation would have come earlier. So...I guess I don't necessarily know what you mean, haha. Maybe the younger/naive part? But we're both very smart in entirely different ways. He's a science guy and I'm art history. And I know he's kinda annoyed with his height, so I don't think he'd patronize me for being shorter than him...since everyone is, lol.

Again, I've always thought it'd be cute. Kinda like Casablanca or something? I just wanted to get a variety of opinions about it.

[Yet another guy]

Some people I talk to say it's a flirty/endearing thing while some say it puts you in the friend zone, like his kid sister.

Guys don't generally have a friend zone. It's more of a woman thing.

[SelflessnHumble]

Guys don't generally have a friend zone. It's more of a woman thing.

How do you know that for sure?

[Yet another guy]

All I can now for sure is that I don't have one. For the sake of correctness, I would like to change my statement to "I don't *think* that guys have one and it *seems* to be a woman thing."

Actually my perception comes from this forum. In every other thread where a guy is having troubles with getting into a relationship with a certain girl, the answer seems to be that he is in her friend zone and there is nothing that can fix it. There are also several women who talk about their own friend zones. On the other hand I have never seen/heard a guy talk about their friend zone.

[chainsma]

You should look up the ladder theory! Men don't really have much of a friend zone, typically (one ladder). However; women often do have a friend zone and a separate zone for potential pursuits(2 ladders).

Though, I think some men can lose romantic interest if sex is offered prior to any relationship, and I think that could be your only worry maybe? But it depends on the male I suppose.

[Ric]

Guys don't generally have a friend zone. It's more of a woman thing.

Yeah, that's utter bullshit.

[warriormaiden]

I find nothing wrong with that. I used to call all of my boyfriends "kid' Or "kiddo" too, just kinda needling them and jesting.
More than likely, he means nothing by it. I would probably feel uncomfortable if he started calling me babe, or sweetie, or sexy after one sexual session.

[MrsHis]

How do you guys interact otherwise?

A nickname can me a lot of things, depending on the situation. The nickname itself is hard to interpret. Here's my opinion -

You've slept together, but are friends and haven't actually been on dates, held hands in public, etc. - "Kiddo" may be a gentle reminder that you're just friends.

You've been on a few dates, spent all night talking on the phone, or other signs of romance - he may want to give you a pet name but isn't quite to the "honey bunches" stage. lol

Just a side note - the only man who had ever called me "kiddo" was my mentor at work before I was promoted. He was a 60+ Vietnam Veteran, I'm a 28 yo art school grad. Although he didn't mean it in a condescending way (he was always the first to recommend me for projects, tout my abilities, etc.), it was definitely related to me being a bit naive as compared to him.

[findingaway]

He he. You sound like me! Well a female version of me.

You are over analysing it. Forget the comment - it could mean anything and you won't know either way i'm afraid. Really it depends on HOW he says it.

How many times have you slept together? Have you talked about a relationship?

Don't think the height thing is an issue.

[RiderViper]

B) I used to call all my best friends "Kiddo" because they all are younger than me, but now I stopped. However I think I stopped doing so once they got taller, so maybe the height does have something to do with it.
The last of my friends I used to call kiddo was my ex-girlfriend, But that was before she became my girlfriend. While we just chatter or talked prior to going out seriously, I would always say what's up kiddo, or how you doing kiddo because she is short and I kind of used to think of her as a little kid and as my sister. I don't know when or why I stopped calling her kiddo, but I started calling her "kid" after that, and then later I stopped it all together. Maybe I stopped calling her that because things were building up between us.

In a way to me, calling someone kiddo is like thinking of them as way younger than yourself. And I would agree to the word "kiddo" at most times to be meant as in more of a friend way rather than a flirty way.