Sibling address question

[PennLady]

Okay, so -- do guys really call their brothers "bro" with any frequency? I have a brother, but I'm 11.5 years older and female, and so I just call him by his name. Or maybe "sport" or "kiddo."

Right now I can't call him at all, as he's deployed.

At any rate, I'm writing a conversation between my main character and his older brother, and just wondered. I've read some stories where it seems like the "bro" is a constant, and truthfully it bugs me.

I suppose a similar question would apply to "sis" (which, for the record, I don't think my brother has ever called me). Do women call their sisters "sis"? Do brothers? Is it an age or generational thing?

Thanks.

 

[Dual_Triode]

Sometimes, but only as a salutation: "Hey Bro." And even then it's only once. After that, it's first names.

 

[LettersFromTatyana]

As an only child, I can't really comment on my own habits with siblings. However, I have something like thirty cousins, and I've never heard any of them use terms like bro, sis, kiddo, sport, etc. My husband uses his brother's name, always.

What sticks in my family are the nicknames. Thomas, Daniel, Elizabeth, and Jennifer will always be Tommy, Danny, Lizzie, and Jenny to me, and to their siblings. I get confused when their spouses refer to them as Tom, Dan, Liz, and Jen.

 

[PennLady]

Sometimes, but only as a salutation: "Hey Bro." And even then it's only once. After that, it's first names.

Thanks, that helps. It's also probably what I'd do anyway, but it helps to know it's "right" on some level.

 

[Dual_Triode]

Thanks, that helps. It's also probably what I'd do anyway, but it helps to know it's "right" on some level.

Quite probably, the usage is colloquial. Good Luck!

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I have three siblings. We never use "bro" or "sis". Ninety percent of the time we use special pet names that have stuck since childhood. Two are derived from actual names; no one remembers the source of the other two.

But that's just us.

What other families do is dependant on family history, geography, age-- even specific neighborhoods. In other words, you can probably get away with almost anything. The better question might be: what is most interesting? "Bro" and "sis" are kind of pedestrian.

 

[PennLady]

I have three siblings. We never use "bro" or "sis". Ninety percent of the time we use special pet names that have stuck since childhood. Two are derived from actual names; no one remembers the source of the other two.

But that's just us.

What other families do is dependant on family history, geography, age-- even specific neighborhoods. In other words, you csn probably get away with almost anything. The better question might be: what is most interesting? "Bro" and "sis" are kimd of pedestrian.

I'll probably end up doing nothing in particular. Not an area I have much experience in, and the brother is not a main character. But thanks!

(P.S. the brothers are from Michigan, if there are any regionalisms I should be aware of)

 

[mynameisben]

I have two brothers, and the word 'bro" has never been uttered among us. I think 'bro' is predominantly used among males as a greeting for casual acquaintances, virtually an exact synonym for the word "dude."

 

[PennLady]

I have two brothers, and the word 'bro" has never been uttered among us. I think 'bro' is predominantly used among males as a greeting for casual acquaintances, virtually an exact synonym for the word "dude."

Good to know. I'm finding the more I think of it that the whole thing just bugs me. Like it sounds phony or something.

 

[jdnunyer]

I have two brothers and a sister. I've called my brothers "bro" a few times, but no more often than I have male friends. "Dude" and "man" get used more often than "bro", and, again, no more often than we'd use the same terms with male friends.

I've never once called my sister "sis".

 

[jdnunyer]

Good to know. I'm finding the more I think of it that the whole thing just bugs me. Like it sounds phony or something.

Very much agreed.

 

[BONNIEBREA]

I think you probably know the answer to the question better than anyone else, PL.

'Bro' is certainly within the realm of what brothers might call each other, or one might call the other.

But how they address each other is a matter of what their relationship is, and you're the determiner of that as the god of the story.

Maybe they call each other that, and one (or both) think it's absurd and feel uncomfortable with it, but it's something they've been calling each other for years and neither wants to rock the boat so they go along. Maybe one uses it sincerely and the other uses it with a mocking attitude, not reflected in his speech. Maybe one saves it as a term of endearment used only with his brother, while the other uses it with his male friends as well.

 

[fuckwaffle]

Okay, so -- do guys really call their brothers "bro" with any frequency? I have a brother, but I'm 11.5 years older and female, and so I just call him by his name. Or maybe "sport" or "kiddo."

Right now I can't call him at all, as he's deployed.

At any rate, I'm writing a conversation between my main character and his older brother, and just wondered. I've read some stories where it seems like the "bro" is a constant, and truthfully it bugs me.

I suppose a similar question would apply to "sis" (which, for the record, I don't think my brother has ever called me). Do women call their sisters "sis"? Do brothers? Is it an age or generational thing?

Thanks.

No, never. Usually use his name or the explicative 'asshole', 'dumbshit' or 'idiot', but never bro.

 

[PennLady]

I think you probably know the answer to the question better than anyone else, PL.

'Bro' is certainly within the realm of what brothers might call each other, or one might call the other.

But how they address each other is a matter of what their relationship is, and you're the determiner of that as the god of the story.

Maybe they call each other that, and one (or both) think it's absurd and feel uncomfortable with it, but it's something they've been calling each other for years and neither wants to rock the boat so they go along. Maybe one uses it sincerely and the other uses it with a mocking attitude, not reflected in his speech. Maybe one saves it as a term of endearment used only with his brother, while the other uses it with his male friends as well.

Thanks, Bonnie, you have a point. I won't be using it, or not much, as it doesn't feel real or right to me. Honestly, I don't think in all the *cough* years I've had a brother, I've ever called him "bro." And yes, since I'm the writer, what I say goes. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a male character in a story refer to another as "bro." Hmmmm. Funny thing is, though, that "bro" could be a nick name for one of the guys.

No, never. Usually use his name or the explicative 'asshole', 'dumbshit' or 'idiot', but never bro.

LOL

I had a feeling that was more likely, and tossed a couple of those in there. This is just one area where I can't draw on personal experience, like I said. And my husband has three sisters, so he can't either, and I've never heard any of his sisters use "bro," although once in a while they'll kind of joke around with "Hi, little brother," "Hi, big sister," that sort of thing.

Final word, I think: bro is out.

 

[SWFL_Wordslinger]

Okay, so -- do guys really call their brothers "bro" with any frequency? I have a brother, but I'm 11.5 years older and female, and so I just call him by his name. Or maybe "sport" or "kiddo."

Right now I can't call him at all, as he's deployed.

At any rate, I'm writing a conversation between my main character and his older brother, and just wondered. I've read some stories where it seems like the "bro" is a constant, and truthfully it bugs me.

I suppose a similar question would apply to "sis" (which, for the record, I don't think my brother has ever called me). Do women call their sisters "sis"? Do brothers? Is it an age or generational thing?

Thanks.

Can't comment on the brother aspect, but my wife still calls her older sister sissy all the time. I've never really used sis or anything with my sisters, though that may be because they are all much older than me.

 

[SydneyBlake]

Okay, so -- do guys really call their brothers "bro" with any frequency? I have a brother, but I'm 11.5 years older and female, and so I just call him by his name. Or maybe "sport" or "kiddo."

Right now I can't call him at all, as he's deployed.

At any rate, I'm writing a conversation between my main character and his older brother, and just wondered. I've read some stories where it seems like the "bro" is a constant, and truthfully it bugs me.

I suppose a similar question would apply to "sis" (which, for the record, I don't think my brother has ever called me). Do women call their sisters "sis"? Do brothers? Is it an age or generational thing?

Thanks.

I come from a large family, and we mostly call each other by our names. My dad had nicknames for all of us, and we sometimes jokingly refer to each other by those names, but no, in the course of everyday conversation, none of us refer to each other as sis or bro.

 

[SydneyBlake]

Is there an echo in here?

Just erasing my double post...

 

[TheeGoatPig]

If I call my brothers or sister anything it would be their name. But usually I just call out, "Hey," while looking at them. It's not that accurate, but it works most of the time.

Hell, I hardly call anyone by name. You are all "Hey," to me

 

[PennLady]

I come from a large family, and we mostly call each other by our names. My dad had nicknames for all of us, and we sometimes jokingly refer to each other by those names, but no, in the course of everyday conversation, none of us refer to each other as sis or bro.

Yeah, my dad has seven siblings and I never heard bro or sis tossed around. Well, maybe the latter if someone was joking.

I'm starting to think that this is how people who don't have siblings, or close siblings, think people with siblings talk to each other.

 

[PennLady]

If I call my brothers or sister anything it would be their name. But usually I just call out, "Hey," while looking at them. It's not that accurate, but it works most of the time.

Hell, I hardly call anyone by name. You are all "Hey," to me

Since I'm so much older than my brother, I guess I didn't have much of a chance to call him anything other than his name or "kiddo" or "sport."

But "Hey!" works. It's unisex, it's short, and applicable in most situations.

 

[BONNIEBREA]

Just another quick thought, PL.

Maybe the term might be good to use (depending on the nature of your characters and their relationship) if one (or both) is using the term in forced way, as a method of avoiding intimacy or real involvement. You know, as a way to push the other away or keep distance.

 

[PennLady]

Just another quick thought, PL.

Maybe the term might be good to use (depending on the nature of your characters and their relationship) if one (or both) is using the term in forced way, as a method of avoiding intimacy or real involvement. You know, as a way to push the other away or keep distance.

That's a good idea, but don't think it will play into the story. Well, it might, but if it did, it'd be with the woman, who has two younger brothers. I'll keep it in mind, though. I can see that working in that kind of ironic sense.

 

[Handley_Page]

My kids referred to each other by name (sometimes nick-name).

 

[PennLady]

My kids referred to each other by name (sometimes nick-name).

My kids are four and a half years apart, 7 and 3. So what's funny is that my son, the older one, will take his cue from us and call his sister things like "sweetie." Like if she falls down: "Oh, are you okay Sweetie? I'm here." Sweetie has yet to come up with a name for big bro.

 

[mynameisben]

If I call my brothers or sister anything it would be their name. But usually I just call out, "Hey," while looking at them. It's not that accurate, but it works most of the time.

Hell, I hardly call anyone by name. You are all "Hey," to me

I'm terrible with names, so I do the same thing. Kinda. I tend to call everybody Sweet Cheeks or Honey Muffin. And when I have sex, just to avoid any embarrassing confusion, I groan out my own name.

Oink! Oink! Oink! Oink!