Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an attractive young woman.

1875		M. Thompson Hoosier Mosaics 32: ‘Jimminy, but ain’t she a little sweety!’ exclaimed the latter, pinching Bill’s arm as they passed, and glancing lovingly at Minny.
1917		Wash. Times (DC) 6 July 5/4: ‘Hello, Susie!’ called one [...] ‘Oh, there’s our sweetie in pink’.
1923		O.O. McIntyre New York Day by Day 14 Sept. [synd. col.] The ‘sweeties’ are enjoying their freedom and have nice pudgy bank accounts.
1929		T. Gordon Born to Be (1975) 77: Every niggah in St. Paul had a sweetie of some kind; sweetbacks had chains of them.
1954		Picture Post 13 Nov. 27: Candy Queen Doreen, accompanied by the other two ‘sweeties’, will have a wonderful time this winter socially.
1972		C. Bukowski Erections, Ejaculations etc. 70: You’re SUCH a sweetie.
1997–2000		College Sl. Research Project (Cal. State Poly. Uni., Pomona) 🌐 Sweetie [...] 2. An extremely good looking guy or girl.

2. a beloved child.

1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 190: Wicked gentleman steal mummy’s ickle sweetie away.
1927		D. Parker ‘Little Curtis’ in Parker (1943) 108: She pinched Curtis’s cheek. ‘You sweetie, you!’.
1974		(con. 1960s) R. Price Wanderers 145: ‘It was Ray.’ ‘How’s my sweetie.’.

3. (orig. US) a boy- or girlfriend, thus pl. sweeties, a pair of lovers.

1919		Noble Sissle ‘Jazzola’ 🎵 Just take your sweetie sweet / Out for a jazzy treat, / And she’ll love you like she never did before.
1921		N. Putnam West Broadway 32: She was evidently Mr Westman’s Sweetie.
1926		Rosa Henderson ‘Let’s talk About My Sweetie’ 🎵 You talk about your sweetie, / Stop talkin’ ’bout your sweetie, / Let’s talk about my sweetie now!
1930		E. Glyn Flirt & Flapper 26: Flapper: Dough’s what [...] we have to give to the boys sometimes — at least the Grandmas do, if they want a sweetie.
1935		W. Smith Bessie Cotter 18: You can tell that sweetie of yours not to come around during business hours.
1940		‘Digg Mee’ ‘Observation Post’ in N.Y. Age 19 Oct. 10/6: Ida Robinson and Chas. Channel are still sweeties.
1941		A. Gurney Bluey & Curley 10 Mar. [synd. cartoon strip] I’m going to meet my new sweetie — how do I look?
1942		R.L. Bellem ‘Cooked!’ Dan Turner - Hollywood Detective Jan. 🌐 Lola, your wife, has told me all about your quarrel with your sweetie.
1944		J. Cary Horse’s Mouth (1948) 56: Gazing down at his sweetie.
1952		(con. 1931) G. Fowler Schnozzola 150: Her sweetie, although fiercely jealous, gave her furs, a motorcar and [...] enough diamonds to light up the business district.
1959		B. Hecht Sensualists (1961) 22: Sovey was trying to get her back as his sweetie.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 181: I’ll bet your little sweetie thinks so too.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 151: Be my sweetie true and make me feel good.
2012		Constitutionally Speaking (S. Afr.) 26 Oct. 🌐 My sweetie says only those who indigenously understand Afrikaans can really understand its meaning.

4. a term of address, not necessarily implying intimacy.

1901		D. Cotsford Society Snapshots 76: Lady Bobo.Where’s my luck gone to, I should like to know? Lady Baba. Where indeed, poor sweetie . . . It is rather diskie for you? . . . Never mind .
1924		C.J. Dennis ‘The Faltering Knight’ in Rose of Spadgers 23: Like some poor, love-sick softy ’oo gets switched / Fer tellin’ ‘sweetie’ ’e don’t like ’er ’at.
1929		D. Parker ‘Big Blonde’ in Penguin Dorothy Parker (1982) 199: Nobody wants to hear other people’s troubles, sweetie.
1941		F. Sargeson ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 158: You get your money’s worth sweetie, Ted said.
1953		R. Chandler Long Good-Bye 103: You got told wrong, sweetie. The bank owns the place.
1955		B. Appel Tough Guy [ebook] ‘I’m goin’ call you Sweetie from now on because I love you’.
1967		N. Dunn Poor Cow 69: Drop your straps sweetie. That’s it, bless you.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 82: Throw ’em away, sweety.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Pimp 148: Oh, Chuck, how are you, sweetie?
1972		(con. 1950s) D. Goines Whoreson 114: The term ‘sweetie’ was mostly reserved for tricks ... as long as they spent cash money.
1981		S. Berkoff Decadence in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 7: Sweety you do look nice.
1994		G. Disher Crosskill [ebook] ‘It’ll be fine, sweetie. Don’t fret’.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 22: Anything you want, sweetie.
2006		C. Hiaasen Nature Girl 211: Sweetie, I’d need a miracle.
2010		L. Berney Gutshot Straight [ebook] ‘You’ll understand someday, sweetie’.
2021		T. Swerdlow Straight Dope [ebook] — Is that how you answer the phone these days, sweetie?

5. used ironically to mean an unpleasant person, e.g. He’s a real sweetie; also as adj., unpleasant.

1922		Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL) 14 Sept. 4/4: The Flappers’ Dictionary [...] Sweetie: Anybody a flapper hates.
1966		C. Wood Fill the Stage With Happy Hours (1967) Act IV: Molly – thank you very much. You really are a sweetie.
2000		Indep. Rev. 25 Feb. 1: They were not cool, not sweetie.

6. a pleasant person.

1932		E.S. Gardner ‘Bird in the Hand’ in Goulart (1967) 266: I ain’t going to be a sweetie, and I ain’t goin’ to reform.
1952		K. Williams Diaries 1 Nov. 81: I don’t like this man produces, David Godfrey. Everyone says he’s a ‘sweetie’ etc. and I always distrust this kind of thing.
1960		H.E. Bates When the Green Woods Laugh (1985) 257: Oh! you’re a sweetie.
1969		A. Buzo Rooted I iii: Isn’t she a sweetie? A real darling.
1977		(con. 1940s) O. Manning Danger Tree 110: A little sweetie of a nurse.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 304: ‘You have to realize,’ I said, ‘that I was a tremendous sweetie before all this started.’.
1999		Indep. Rev. 19 June 20: Despite his bear-like manner, Sir Robin was a sweetie.

7. an effeminate homosexual.

1967–8

Baker et al. CUSS 207: Sweetie An effeminate male.