There has been a shift in the way people address each other in public places, such as hospitals, from using more deferential terms, such as "sir" and "madam" to more familiar terms that people have imported from their personal relationships.

BBC: Is it acceptable to call someone 'babe'?

Wherever he's coming from, people like it: Mighty Quinn's is jammed every night, as are most of the other places venturing beyond the 'cue canon.

WSJ: The New Barbecue