Sometimes I even get called that at drive-through windows of fast-food restaurants.

it sounds perfectly fine.

These days, not so much!

My experience may be limited, but I think there may be a bit of regionalism to it. I hear "Darling" all the time in Northern California and the SF Bay Area, but I've never heard it used outside of a romantic relationship in Los Angeles. It's popular in some parts of the south, but I can't recall hearing anyone say it in New York. Considering that I haven't spent a lot of time in New York, I may have just missed it.

There are different cultures in different parts of the U.S., and it's entirely possible that the use of Darling reflects that.

The word itself has been around for centuries, and I've always seen it as a gender neutral term of endearment.

"Hon" or "Honey" was what older women might call younger people when they were trying to be nice. I never minded an older woman calling me or anyone else "hon". I am male and after having one of my female supervisors call just about everyone "hon" for a several years, I started using it but rarely to younger women.

I don't think it is offensive unless there is anyway it could be misconstrued. Now, that I am 50, I would never call anyone "hon" unless they were a small child and even then I wonder if it is acceptable. I just think all those "niceties" of years ago are not acceptable today. Occasionally, I find myself calling some little kid "son", when I want to say "watch yourself--be careful", which was acceptable when I was a kid but is probably not correct now but I let it pass and try to avoid it the next time.

I going to go with a lot of it was innocent but we all know calling anyone "darling" in the workplace would be totally unacceptable now. Every female in retail that I have known can tell stories of much older guys saying things to them that are beyond the pale. Totally inappropriate but lots of it goes unreported because "the customer is always right". I was shocked at how widespread this type of thing is when I casually had a conversation with some of the women I worked with when I was in retail.

I guess it all goes to the vibe you get off someone when they call you something you would rather not be called. A waitress saying, "What can I get you darling" is not a big deal. A male supervisor telling a female underling to "Get me some coffee, darling" might be a very big deal.

The Diamonds then, and the same singers decades later with songwriter Maurice Williams of The Gladiolas.

"I'll never do you no harm"-- The Beatles
"I can't get no satisfaction"-- The Rolling Stones
"We don't need no ejjicashun"-- Pink Floyd

That was great.

relegated to people goofing on each other (Dahling!)

Now it's relegated to regional usage.

And I think it's a great word.

called all her men friends darling and they would totally melt. In fact, she named my younger sister Darlene which was close to Darling.

Many of them call me sweetie and darling even on the phone when they never see me. I'm in my thirties but I sound and look younger. Due to the nature of my job, I almost always deal with people who are happy to talk to me.

unless they are republicans then I call them shit for brains , turd maggot or Skippy .

Women called men darling all the time when it was popular. I can hear it in my head, a woman calling a man darling in old movies.

And in fact, the 40's was a great era for women in film. They were strong and were not there just for a feeble love interest as they are in most of today's movies. Rosalynd Russell, Barbara Stanwyck, Katherine Hepburn...

His Girl Friday is one of my favorite movies.

I think it's cheesy but she loves it.

She says it is mostly a Southern usage.

-- Mal

As well to calling my nieces and nephews little darlings.

Usage is alive and well for me.

is commonly used around these parts.

My previous SO called me that, and I loved it.

I don't use the term with anyone else.

Arguably my usage is ironic