In news:3ffd3a17@news.greennet.net,
Allan Connochie <conno@conno.greatxscape.net> radiated into the
WorldWideWait:
> "MacHamish" <russj41@concentric.net> wrote in message
> news:1gmlvv41gnlhta1deuhkmkbq3s96it00vk@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 6 Jan 2004 09:40:22 -0500, "Helen Ramsay" <r@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>> "Hen"? You calling me "hen"?
>>>
>>> It's a term of endearment. Rather like the French 'mon petit
>>> chou'. I've been away from Scotland for so long that I get all
>>> warm and fuzzy when someone calls me 'hen' :)
>>
>> I took it to be the Lallans way of saying "hon", short for "honey".
>
> I imagine it is!  In north Northumberland they still commonly say
> 'hinnie' but in Scotland it has
> possibly become reduced to 'hin' then corrupted to 'hen'.  The usage
> certainly differs.  I
> get called hinnie from some older English ladies but this side of
> the border 'hen' is used exclusively as a term of endearment when
> addressing females.

<snicker>
Main Entry: hin