Hi mate

I use mate all the time, probably far too much to be honest but not if I'm talking to someone like my manager or director other than that you're fair game.

I used to know a guy that would literally blow his top if someone he didn't know called him mate, much amusement for the rest of us.
 
I use "mate" almost exclusively with natives, else it's generally "man" or "bro". All are used positively.
 
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Terminal_Boy said:
And replying to a police officer who’s called out “Excuse me, mate.” as you’ve walked past him on the other side of the road minding your own business with “I’m not your ******* mate.” wasn’t well received in London 6 years ago.
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I remember when police officers would call you "sir".

Then again I often call people "sir" or "madam" - but when I moved to the UK I was put into posh school :D In France and other countries in Europe we often use a formal address for strangers until you agree to become familiar - I must say I quite like that.
 
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"Duck" is a very Midlands expression, which seems to run across from East Mids (Lincs) through to North Mids.

An early usage of it is found in Shakespeare (no surprise there) and it could have originated from the old Saxon ducas, meaning Duke.
 
I use mate/pal/buddy pretty interchangeably because it's easier than remembering 100s of names. If you go to certain parts of yorkshire you will regularly hear "love" used in the same way, except rarely between two men. The only one that I dislike is "duck" which is a lincolnshire thing that has spread, I hate being called "duck" lol.
 
Like others I usually use it when I can't remember sometimes name, but only if I know them first. My nephew called me mate once when he was about 7, yeah didn't like that and out an end to it
 
When I first joined the Internet and there wasn't that many Brits online back then, whenever I said mate, people (mostly Americans) thought I was either Australian or I was talking about mating with someone! :eek:

Also have a memory of going on holiday to Rhyl when I was about 12, waiting to play some pool. There was this girl with her friends and she was talking non-stop and literally at every mid and end point of each sentence she spoke was "mate".
 
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