student asking question

I don't understand what he means by "You ain't gotta be my lover for you to call me baby". Does it mean, "You don't have to be my lover for you to call me baby"? If so basically is he saying, you can call me baby?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, he's basically saying that it's okay for his partner to call him "baby," which is usually a term of affection for one's lover (or very young children), even if they are not dating or in a relationship. In essence, it's used to mean that they can pretend that they're lovers during the time that they're being physically intimate. Ex: Baby, let's go see a movie on the weekend. Ex: My boyfriend calls me "baby" or "honey."

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