Hi mate

[Diddums]

I've lived in this country since 2006. "mate" has always been a casual off the cuff, unprofessional way to address someone in my eyes.

Today I heard that it's actually a term which shows respect.

I'm fairly set in my thoughts but thinking it over a bit, there's a small scope for me to be wrong.

So what is it? Educate a filthy job stealing immigrant pls.

 

[iamdjdz]

Did you steal my jobs mate?

 

[Blueball]

"mate" can also be used when you cannot remember a person's name!

 

[Lysander]

I've lived in this country since 2006. "mate" has always been a casual off the cuff, unprofessional way to address someone in my eyes.

Are you saying that you always thought it was negative? Because it's definitely not. But like so many such words, its intention is denoted by context.

"mate" can also be used when you cannot remember a person's name!

Like why I call my wife "dear".

 

[Uther]

"mate" can also be used when you cannot remember a person's name!

Exactly when i use it. I 'know' a lot of people, but ****** if I can remember their names.

 

[peterwalkley]

Like why I call my wife "dear".

But strangely replying with "Yes Dear" doesn't go down well at all

 

[Malevolence]

"mate" can also be used when you cannot remember a person's name!

No, that would be 'duck'.

 

[Stu999]

It can also be used passive aggressively so I wouldn’t say it always “shows respect”.

 

[Lysander]

It can also be used passive aggressively so I wouldn’t say it’s always a “sign of respect”.

Sure, because "what's your ****in' problem, mate??" is totally passive-aggressive

 

[ColdAsIce]

It’s a positive term to call a friend. Never known it to be a negative.

 

[andy_mk3]

Mate is widely used around here in the midlands, I have family call their spouse mate.

 

[Blueball]

No, that would be 'duck'.

You from Nottingham? as in "Ay up me duck"!

 

[Malevolence]

You from Nottingham? as in "Ay up me duck"!

That's not Nottingham, that's Stoke.

 

[Blueball]

That's not Nottingham, that's Stoke.

The people I knew in Nottingham would disagree but hey ho!

 

[dave28]

None of the locals where i live say " Hi mate "

We all say " u oright "

I even worked with some Americans and they did not have a clue what we were saying at first but after a while they would copy us.

 

[throwaway4372]

This video pretty much sums up my feelings on this topic.

 

[something daft already!!]

"Buddy" has replaced "Mate" here. Some people still use mate but mostly I hear buddy.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Mate is widely used around here in the midlands, I have family call their spouse mate.

**** me so that's where I get it. My girlfriend's dad calls his 2 sons, daughter, wife and his mother mate. I now call my GF mate and she hates it

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Mate should be used as a friends way of greeting someone.

If you not a friend you are not my mate.

 

[throwaway4372]

"Buddy" has replaced "Mate" here. Some people still use mate but mostly I hear buddy.