How far north...

[Donn]

In Canada, you would never hear such terms of endearment. We are a very shy and self-effacing people whose idea of a stimulating conversation starter is "Cold enough for you today?"

But you have French as one of your national languages, and it has familiar/endearing built in - service personnel with the French Canadian version of that unwarranted and presumably unfelt affection could address you in 2nd person singular. (I think - can't claim to know the language very well.)

[roughrider]

In Canada, you would never hear such terms of endearment. We are a very shy and self-effacing people whose idea of a stimulating conversation starter is "Cold enough for you today?"

But you have French as one of your national languages, and it has familiar/endearing built in - service personnel with the French Canadian version of that unwarranted and presumably unfelt affection could address you in 2nd person singular. (I think - can't claim to know the language very well.)

While French certainly is one of our official languages, it is highly unlikely that service personnel in any French speaking community in Canada and especially Quebec or New Brunswick would use such terms of endearment. Whether French or English speaking in this country, we just aren't made that way. North Dakota and Minnesota would be the American equivalents to us. As a resident of Minnesota described how the state takes to newcomers,"We like to winter' em and summer ' em and then we'll take them in". That is us as well.

[opus37]

I never hear Hon or Sweetie or Darling in Minnesota (or most of Wisconsin), unless I go to a restaurant that is pretending to be Southern Style. I am however getting tired of being addressed as "Sir". I'm not a officer and I don't like feeling old.

[Three Valves]

I'm not a officer and I don't like feeling old.

You are too old to be an officer!!

[Dan Schultz]

I never hear Hon or Sweetie or Darling in Minnesota (or most of Wisconsin), unless I go to a restaurant that is pretending to be Southern Style. I am however getting tired of being addressed as "Sir". I'm not a officer and I don't like feeling old.

Don'tcha know, eh!

[Donn]

I am however getting tired of being addressed as "Sir". I'm not a officer and I don't like feeling old.

Do you happen to notice whether the women in the party get addressed as "Ma'am"? I think that may have been the nails in the coffin for "Sir" here - if you don't like "Sir" for the above reasons, you can imagine how thrilled your female dining companions are going to be to hear "Ma'am".

(One of my neighbors has taken to addressing me as "Sir", I assume she does likewise with other older males but omits the title with females. You can get away with that under certain circumstances, but I'm just saying it isn't going to fly, as standard usage in a restaurant or similar.)

As far as wintering them and summering them - up here in the Pacific NW, I guess that's about how it is, except we just keep wintering them and summering them. Notoriously awkward for transplants from more social regions.