Guru

While packing a tour of a recession-hit car manufacturer into his busy schedule yesterday, Obama was accosted by terrier-like ABC reporter Peggy Agar, who shouted a question to him above the din.

Yours Truly may well have chosen a more direct way of requesting her patience, but Obama smiled and politely begged for just one-sixtieth of a minute's peace before answering her question. Sweetie.

Oh how he must regret that word now. It has been seized on as evidence of his dark, evil, woman-hating side. He just sees them as sex objects, cooks and sweeties. The arrogance of the man!

Now Mrs Guru has some words she calls Guru by, but none of them are as polite and pleasant as sweetie. Yours Truly could be forgiven for thinking his first name was Oi, and his surname quite unprintable on this blog.

Sweetie would be quite an improvement, bringing to mind lovely images of sugary treats rather than men with their genitals on their foreheads.

Guru is sure many workers would agree with the beauty of terms of endearment but, post-Obama, can HR professionals expect a rush of grievances from workers offended by such phrases?

"My line manager gave me an award for my work and thanked me sincerely but then he called me mate, which just ruined the whole thing. I want him sacked."

Or: "After I spent the afternoon crying about breaking up with my boyfriend, my colleague said I would be alright, darling. So I smashed her face in."

Stand fast, disciples. Tell them to pull themselves together. Sweeties.