I would like to ask you what do you think about greeting phrase: "hello dear". Is it just me who finds it odd? Recently, I have received quite a lot of messages that begin with this. I think it is more appropriate to use "Hello + name" or "Dear + name" (in case they want to use dear). What do you think. Thank you :)
PS: feel free to correct my text.
EDIT: I am refering to messages like: "Hello dear I would like to become your language partner"
I get greeted this way in Canada by older people.
At a restaurant, older waitresses will say "Hello Dear, Would you like a table or a booth?"
My wife is sometimes greeted at our church with "Hello Dear, How are you?"
In Birmingham (UK), I am frequently called "darling", "love", "dear", and "bab" in shops and restaurants, even by younger women. It's friendly in a normal way, here.
But in writing, you wouldn't try this unless you were a creep or didn't understand that it made you sound like a creep.
I agree with you. If a stranger greeted me with "hello dear", I would definitely find it weird. It may be ok for friends, but for people you don't know, it's rather inappropriate, I think.
