h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

ha, i could never really understand what the word "mate" really means.
i think i never used it.

It's funny that a word that traditionally mean "sexual partner" in most English speaking nations can be used reinterpreted by most Australian men to mean a platonic friend.

Not that I mean anything by that mate. No way.

Mate... mate? Mate, mate, mate. Maaa-eete! Mate.

Matematemate?!

If it's said quickly the word mate means the opposite to what it usually means, but the longer you draw it out, the friendlier you are with someone.

Maaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyytttte!

but i like saying "mate" in British accent.
sounds like...
maight.
it's funny.
but when i hear people talking "about their best mate"...
best mate?

to me it was always best friend!!

G'day mate,'ow r yer goin'? I use 'mate' often as a greeting to my friends (good friends) and I'm female (all my known life).

I'm also true blue Aussie(all my known life).

Glad to hear it mate!

As an Aussie myself 'mate' is a constant in my vocabulary - a word used constantly by male and female to all, regardless of race, sex, or social standing.

Unless it's to the parents of someone you've just started dating and you've just met them.

In which case the greeting would be, "G'day old cock. This the ball 'n' chain?".

The origin of the word mate can be found in the war cries of the, never defeated, never buckled under to the atrocities hidden by the British under the British invented word justice (read revenge), unique, original natives, of a group of islands 1200 miles east of Australia. Ka mate ka mate, was and still is, a Maori War cry laid down before battle. This same challenge, using the same words will be used against the Australians in the upcoming rugby test match on Sat 24,7,99 in Auckland, New Zealand. A little geography. London is 600 miles from Moscow, Auckland is 1200 miles from Sydney and it is all water.

The mate that you refer to Mr Toons, if I am not mistaken, is pronounced "mah-tay" and not the colloquial Australian "mayt" as is being discussed here.

By the way, I'm looking forward to next weeks match. Shall be lots of fun and bloodshed. May the best group of big, slightly thick in the head blokes win mate!

Right on mate, you've got it

I always use the word Mate! 'Cause I can never remember anyone's bloody name.

Laughs.

It takes a brave person to say it Bobsled, but I think you have it right there. The number of times I've used mate in that way are too many to even consider.

Don't worry. Once it becomes habit and people know you, Mate is never offensive. In fact it is the first step to 'Mateship'!

You're a true mate Bobsled.

You are too Wowbagger!! Perhaps we will both accept our enshrinement into the new constitution as written by Les Murry and that little excuse we have for a PM!

Hurrah! Problem with it in the preamble is that, most of our mates of the feminine gender see mate as a particularly male orientated thing. I object to that, though I cannot speak from their point of view. I have far more female mates than male mates. How do we imbed into our national psyche that the term mate is (or should become) a neutral term?

Most Australian females I meet would prefer the Australian male to be neutered and let the language evolve as Mrs God decides

His words have the ring of truth to them. Mate.