'Mate'

[sammd]

Why do blokes call each other 'mate' even when they've never met before?

[dot.hawkes]

I greet most people I know ell with, 'Hello mate' as does my daughter, (I ain't a bloke) and I call may mates my mates, men tend to use the term in an aggressive way I think, "Look mate...etc..."

[cliffsdoll]

maybe cos they dont know their names, why do men always call women love?

[dot.hawkes]

Or 'darlin', I hate that, mind you I call blokes I like/fancy/am close to 'babe' so i am as bad.

[Quizmonster]

'Mate', as an alternative to 'fellow/comrade/pal', has been in use since the late 1300s. In fact, it is older in that sense than in the sense of 'marriage companion'. Presumably, the reason men use it today is historical...ie because that's how they've used it for about three quarters of a millennium!

[andy-hughes]

I live in Stoke-on-Trent and 'mate' has been a standard form of address for anyone, from best firends to complete strangers, for as long as I can remember. Men who are steeped in the older dialtect tradditions refer to each other as 'youth', or 'owd', but the use of 'mate' is universal.

It always makes me smile when the large Asian community, many of whom are taxi drivers say "Where to mate?" in their own accent.

[barb1314]

My hubby calls me mate and it always makes people,including me,giggle,but he is my mate so it's fine!!! Much better that than 'love' I hate that!

[smudge]

Dot is right, it's not only blokes who use this term. I've heard quite a few women say "Thanks mate" to other women who are complete strangers - mainly when asking directions & when in shops & supermarkets!

[smudge]

One of my old school friends still calls me 'Mate'.

I'm not too keen on the term 'Love' either barb - also Luvvie, Darling, Pet & worse of all Duck! I do not have feathers, I don't quack & hopefully won't get bird flu!

I just say "Hello, can you tell me please....." or "Thank you very much".

[coprinus00]

What makes me cringe is wives who talk about husbands as "hubby" -yuck.

[joko]

its just friendlier i think.

by me, (merseyside) the younger girls (vicky pollards) will address you as "ey, geeerrrll" to ask the time or something but they also talk to each other like that.

in liverpool many people, male and female, will use a term in the place of 'mate' that, i think, is unique to liverpool, but comes from an irish root (as most people in liverpool are irish or have irish family) - they will say "la", as in "alright, la?" or "hey, la", meaning "lad" - the irish connection is the habit of calling the parents "ma and da", instead of mam and dad.

it is also kind of just an add-on to a phrase, like saying "like" or "you know", which is why people do say it to girls too, but not as common.

it does tend to be a more "scally" term and there is a term "scally-ay-la" that is used to describe these types

remember the liverpool band "the la's" ?

[Carol Anne]

All the neds in Glasgow seem to address each other as 'man' whether male or female.

When I was younger you would be addressed as 'Hen' by many strangers. I detested it. My husband sometime does it to annoy me

[dot.hawkes]

They use 'pet' in Newcastle I think, and some people who aren't Cilla Black still use 'chuck'. When I was a teenager the Liverpudlians used to use 'ace' for a bloke and 'queen' for a girl.

[Steve_Luts]

I'm a brummie by birth, and 'mate' as in (assume the accent) "Or-roight may-te" is a term of endearment...its shows a level of acknowledgement, of acceptance.

I live down South now and find that 'mate' has travelled well - it always brings a glow to me heart to be called 'mate' by a stranger, say, in London, when I generally think as a nation on the whole, Brits are quite reserved about speaking to strangers. Mate crosses that boundary, so its what we do.

That OK, mate? ;-)

[joko]

been in liverpool 34 years and never, ever once heard anyone call anyone else ace!!

queen is true, but not ace!
it could be that with the accent, when some scousers say 'mate' and it sounds like 'mace' and perhaps it was misheard.

we may say ace to mean something is great or, i suppose, a few may use it as a term of address in a jokey sarcastic way but it is not common or well known.

[Eno]

I have also lived in Liverpool for 34 years and my Mum has always called my Dad "ACE"

Never really asked why ?

[Mudman]

It usually means... A: I don't (nor want to) know your name but need a comunication "call sign", to address you with. Or... B: Yes, You did tell me your name but, you're not really important enough for me to try and remember it. It can sometimes mean that i'm too stoned to even remember my own name but in any situation.. It should NEVER be replaced with "dude"!

[Jenni_luvved]

I live in the south, and we call each other all sorts down here. It changes a lot, especially with the younger generation, i have no idea where they get all the new ones from tho. But even now (im only 20 by the way) me and my mates r always callin each other random things, they just stick. Erm... Chick, Hun, Babez, Sexy, Mate, Man, and yes... one of my mates always uses dude! It is a bit weird but u get used 2 it. My bloke always calls me girl or baby - which is nice. I suppose theres loadz more 2. Sum people may find it irritating but at least its people bein pleasent 2 each other.

[paddy_36]

In Fife, people say 'pal' (can be male or female).

Both males and females use 'hen', but you can only say it to a female.