I may not be an authority on this.
But I think that it depends a lot of times about who does it, do whom and who may be left to be the judge of it being just polite and nice or a tactical approach.
If you are saying "
... ai pero que lindo nombre que tu tiene!" You may indeed come thru as somebody trying to start a conversation. Nothing bad or low about it... besides being a somewhat of old fashioned line. Now, IF your Dominican girl friend or wife overhears your comment, you'll be turned into toast! And most likely on the spot!
Actually, your wife or GF will feel quite free to accuse YOU of being a
fresco or
desgraciao because the girl at the cash registers addressed YOU as
mi amor!
The
Mami or
Mamita term can be understood in two ways:
- Inoffensive, when addressing a woman as mi amor or linda or joven linda like in a casual sentence like ".. ven Mami(ta), de me un paso por favor".
- But if you include a long "Aiiii" exclamation before Mami(ta)... boy, then you're telling her that she is bueeeeenaaa! A clear piropo (flirt) and directed to her "attributes".
I think a good way to pick up on the nuances between being a nice and flattering gentleman or a hot and cocky tiguere, is to listen to the older men, wearing proper white guayabera shirts and nice laced leather shoes and on the other hand the
tiguerones del colmado de la esquina hechando piropos a la morena que pasa, su cuerpo texy que lo menea al rithmo de la bachata que suena por mi calle y de su paso slow y sensual, aiii Mamiiitaa! (yes, I'm'a gunna be a Latino Rapero soon, ya tu sabe pa la gran manzana e 
)
... J-D.