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How you goin, MATE?
"How you goin, MATE?"
I often hear this greeting from Australians. Brits use "mate" too. Does "mate" refer only to males or could it refer to females as well?
It's mostly a male to male thing, and can be a wee bit class based as well - or at least it used to be by all accounts. Now it's pretty much used right across the spectrum of social standing. I wouldn't be surprised if the two Royal Princes Willam and Harry call each other "mate". One of the male radio presenters on the very middle class station BBC Radio Five Live uses "mate" when addressing other males. No way would he use it with a female, but it's not unknown for it to be used in a male to female context in certain circumstances, but it would be rare.
On TalkSport Radio (an independent radio station with a very "laddish/blokeish" target audience) "mate" is by far the most usual form of address between all participating males....it's de rigueur on TalkSport from TalkSport Towers (as they like to call their studios base - actually a pretty humdrum office/studio complex in a humdrum street close to Blackfriars Bridge over the Thames on London's South Bank. Have a great weekend! yay!
Thanks a lot there, mate! I appreciate it.
But I wonder if "mate" is ever used by a FEMALE to address a MALE?
I heard a female character address a male as "mate" in an Australian movie once, so I assume it can go the other way.
Lots of women use mate in my neck of the woods, or at least the working class and below do, being from Basildon basically that means all of us:( .
Nothing wrong with working for a living, PL. Happens to the best of us! ;P
Anyone you may regard as a friend you could call "mate" although it is usually directed towards males.
<<Anyone you may regard as a friend you could call "mate" although it is usually directed towards males>>
I've seen most friendly Australians calling "mate" to just about any guys they meet, even strangers on the streets.
I have even heard Aussie cricketers saying to each other as "matey" on the playground!
it is a man thing.
Round my way "mate" doesn't have to be someone you like. Quite often you get two blokes squaring up to each other and calling each other mate.
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