Canadians Saying "Mate"

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Less then a year ago, I became obsessed with Australia, and starting the speak with an accent and using Aussie slang, and calling people "Mate" which is quite common in Australia. I've never heard anyone say it in Canada until recently, I've heard people say it.

Last night, I heard someone come to the door and call my Dad "Mate". My Dad had said the the other day someone had called him that. Maybe I have started the trend in Canada?

Wouldn't that be something?

Are more than one person posting under this screen name?

No, why do you ask?

Just curious...because your screen name is plural.

its a cartoon tv show

I was wondering that.

We don't say it that often lol. It's kind of old fashioned. Nowadays we only mean it sarcastically after someone makes us mad e.g. "Nice one mate!"

The only problem with calling anyone "mate" in Canada or the US as a whole, is that nobody there thinks of that word in the meaning you know it to have, and there could be misunderstandings.

In North America generally it only means "breeding partner" -- mating meaning having sex, mates usually meaning two animal breeding partners.

If you say, for example, "This is my mate, Sarah," to an American, they're not going to think "friend" like they would for sure in, say Britain, they'll think it's an odd way of saying she's your lover.

I disagree. If I heard someone say 'mate' or 'bloke' I would just assume they spent time in England or Australia and think nothing more of it. I know I have said more than one 'Australian' saying in my life.

I first encountered "bloke" when I read "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" when I was in high school.

ello mite

I love the Australian accent as well, too bad I rarely run into any here in Canada.

I can't say I have ever heard anyone where I live call someone "mate" they way we may normally call them "buddy" or even "cousin".

I think many North Americans get annoyed when someone calls them mate. I don't know if it's because "mate" is what you usually call it when animals breed, or because they're just being a bigot who is intolerant of other cultures.

But maybe that's only because you know something about English or Australian ways. Not everyone who isn't English or Australian does, though.

I say "G'day" all the time.

Sometimes "G'day mate". Usually with a "How ya goin' ?" tacked on. We really do have terrible grammar don't we!

Here in small country towns it is used all time, less so in cities.

The Canadians on South Park say Mate a lot.

Lots of people around here still say "mate". It's just that other words are being used as well, like "buddy", "dude", etc.

One thing I've noticed though is that younger people (around here, at least) aren't saying "g'day" as much. I don't say it as much as I used to, either. Normally for me it's "hi", "hey" or "how's it goin'?". It's still common among older people, though.