Of euphemism and terms of endearment

Feel Good: you better stop 'whatever-ing' and be nicer towards me.

joY: erm...is that a threat? okay, okay...sorry lah...you know I don't mean it...it's just a phrase of endearment...

a few seconds later...

joY: there is a difference...I didn't roll my eyes when i said it, so "whatever" is my version of "k, I get it".

And that, in a nutshell, was TBF's ultimatum, sort of, at 7am this morning over MSN. And it got me pondering on this: is there a cut-off point where even the most patient person will get infuriated over the use of a word, any word, on him or her? Honestly, I'm scared if TBF seriously meant severing our friendship if I ever use the dirty W-word on him again.

But that was supposed to have worked well as a term of endearment too, liken the case as in idiot or even basket(ball). If sugarpie or cupcake is used too often, doesn't the cliché cancel out every sweetness totally?

The same goes for euphemism. It's unforgivable for a refined lady (or gentleman) to commit a social faux pas as to swear in public blatantly; she'll just have to express her displeasure behind a smokescreen - and the euphemism makes a grand entrance. So much so that silly goose doesn't sound as bad as stupid goon, sugars not exactly as distasteful as sh*t and fish definitely more appealing than the king on the universal vulgar scale - the F-word.

So when do euphemism and terms of endearment become unacceptable in our everyday lives? Where do we draw the line? Or is there even one?

But know that when I do say whatever (followed by a chuckle), I'm not really feeling indifferent to whatever you've just articulated....