Mate or maté is a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused herbal drink. It is also known as chimarrão or cimarrón.
The word 'mate' is very useful when talking to someone you've already been introduced to but whose name you have forgotten. For example, 'Hello, mate' is a warmer greeting than just 'Hello' for someone to whom you have already been introduced.
Mate. “Mate” is a popular word for friend. And while it's used in other English-speaking countries around the world, it has a special connection to Australia. In the past, mate has been used to address men, but it can be gender-neutral.
The Australian National Dictionary explains that the Australian usages of mate derive from the British word 'mate' meaning 'a habitual companion, an associate, fellow, comrade; a fellow-worker or partner', and that in British English it is now only in working-class use.
used as a friendly way of talking to someone, especially a man: Have you got the time, mate? "I've bought you a drink." "Cheers, mate." "How was your party?" "Top, mate."
Friend = the 'neutral' word to describe someone you're close to. Mate = a more informal word for 'friend' (especially among men) and also a term of address for anyone the speaker is on good terms with (in the Commonwealth).
Mateship is an Australian cultural idiom that embodies equality, loyalty and friendship. Russel Ward, in The Australian Legend (1958), once saw the concept as central to the Australian people. Mateship derives from mate, meaning friend, commonly used in Australia as an amicable form of address.
It surely sounds strange to those who are familiar with American or British English, but it is a very common expression in Australia. G'day is a shortened form of 'Good Day' and it is the equivalent of 'Hello. ' Mate means friend or buddy and it can be used to address your friend or a total stranger.
The word “mate” is very common in Australian and British English and can help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Englsih in these places.
Bunji: Aboriginal English for mate. Eg. “How're you doing bunji?”
“My research shows the British and Irish working-class introduced most of the swearing we have in Australia,” Krafzik says. “It was cemented in those early colonial days.” The British officer class tended to rotate in and out of the colonies. The working-class settlers – and convicts – stayed.
The term "mate" is essentially gender neutral in Australia. This applies almost in all cases except perhaps if you're a male and bump into a woman who is 'generationally' older than you. In that case, just 'Sorry' or 'Excuse me' is fine.
Bugger. (Noun/verb/adjective) A mild profanity that's also one of the most versatile words in Australian English. Exclamation; “Bugger! I dropped some more avo on myself.”
'Mate' is commonly used in Australia. You'll hear 'g'day mate' between friends and 'hey, mate' to a (male) stranger if you want to catch his attention.
Where does the word mate come from? Mate made its way in the 1300s to Middle English from the Middle Low German ge-mate, meaning the act of eating at the same table. It is related to maat in both Proto-Germanic and Dutch, meaning partner, colleague or friend.
Buddy. This one is definitely more common in the US and Canada. In a way, it's almost the North American equivalent to the term "mate." In some instances, this word might be shortened to "bud," which essentially means the same thing.
While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
"Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" is a cheer or chant often performed at Australian sport events. It is a variation of the Oggy Oggy Oggy chant used by both soccer and rugby union fans in Great Britain from the 1960s onwards. It is usually performed by a crowd uniting to support a sports team or athlete.
But in his new book Mateship: A Very Australian History, Dr Dyrenfurth traces the term back to the very first white Australians - the convicts. "The convicts brought with them from Britain the term mate, and they used it amongst themselves," he said.
Contributor's comments: "But" at the end of a sentence is used in Sydney where it is the same as putting "but" at the beginning of a sentence. Thus "But I didn't do it!" is the same as saying "I didn't do it, but!"
Hooroo = Goodbye
The Australian slang for goodbye is Hooroo and sometimes they even Cheerio like British people.
Someone's mate is their spouse, partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend. Your grandmother's long-term sweetheart is her mate.
You can refer to someone's friends as their mates.
Mate is used as a term of endearment, but also frequently used to casually ingratiate oneself with a stranger or new acquaintance.