At the grocery deli counter, the guy greeted me with, “What can I help you with pal?”

After pointing out the cheese I wanted: “This one bud?”

He showed me a sample: “OK, chief?”

Then, “What else boss?”

He handed it to me: “There you go my friend.”

As I left he said: “Take it easy dude.”

Need I even comment on this exchange? I mention it because I sometimes hear similar things on phone calls, although not to this extent I admit.

Pal, dude, chief, boss, my friend, buddy…perhaps those terms have an appropriate place with a good friend in a casual conversation, but my feeling is that they annoy most others.

What are some annoying labels that bug you?