British English for pacifier is 'dummy'. This is the universal word and has
no negative connotations.

However, it is interesting that we retain this word, and its links with the
original meaning of dummy, which means an imitation something-or-other (in
journalism, for instance, my non-bf life, the dummy is the mock-up of a
newspaper or magazine, not the real thing - it may be the same in US
English).

But what is exactly the same here is that mothers are warned 'don't let him
use you as a dummy' and we have to use the exact same challenges as have
been on the list these last couple of days -   which came first, mummies or
dummies? : )

Now, equally interesting is that manufacturers do not like this word one
bit. All dummies I have ever seen in shops or catalogues  are labelled
'soothers', which to the marketing people probably sounds a lot 'nicer'
than dummy.

There is a class issue in the UK - don't know if this applies in the US.
Middle class mothers tend to dislike dummies, though most of them use them.
My mother (whose class habits anttenae are always finely tuned) would have
died a death if I had used dummies with my kids - but I can assure everyone
this had nothing at all to do with any notion that it would interfere with
my bf. She just thought they were 'horrible',  because of  (it has to be
said) snobbery....

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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