'cheers' and 'mate'

[D-Rider]

I don't use the cheers mate expression but agree with others on here that I think its more of a male thing... that so there must be something else I use instead and I can't think what it would be?

I think it's increasingly a unisex term... I've been called "mate" a few times and I generally don't like it. I have informed someone that "I'm not your mate" when I was in a bad mood once. Poor bloke meant it well, I'm sure.

However, I don't call anyone "mate" and agree it doesn't seem to be commonly used by women.

I sometimes use "bud" or "doll" (also unisex) but only to actual friends as opposed to passers-by.

 

[ChrisKH]

I had a bank employee whom I know, over the phone only say "Cheers. Lata" Yesterday. I barely know her and she is assistant manager level. Worrying.

 

[Beardie]

I don't like the salutation "alright mate?". It is near-universal where I work. The expected reply is also "alright, mate." What's wrong with "hello"?

 

[col]

Another a lot use round here is nowthen, its just another way of saying hi, cant see the problem with it.

 

[rich p]

'Mate' is very useful when you've forgotten someone's name!

 

[col]

'Mate' is very useful when you've forgotten someone's name!

Even when I remembered their name and jumped in front of them and said " Hi Steve", it wasnt who I thought but a total stranger

 

[Beardie]

I wrote it as "alright mate", though the actual pronunciation is more like "orroight mate", with both the Ts replaced by glottal stops. It sounds dreadful.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I think if these terms are used in their regions of origin nobody notices or minds but "mate" is I think originally of the SE and is working class but it seems to have burst out of its region and is being used all up and down the social scale and it is that breaking of social codes that probably causes irritation.

 

[thomas]

I've actually started using the word chap, as I've noticed a lot of people have. I guess that's OK because it's a synonym of 'mate'.

A few of my mates call me posh when I use the word chap . Cheers is alright though!

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I use all of the below (probably too much):

Cheers.
Mate.
No worries.

And when people ask "how are you?" I nearly always reply with "not bad" which I think is usually the correct reponse!

 

[Sittingduck]

I really don't see the problem with the term mate. I am probably more working class than the average CC member though.

Cheers
SD

 

[Eat MY Dust]

When I was growing up I used to use "ken" at the end of sentences a lot, ken.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

In Geordieland everybody is PET.

Except that men of a similar age used to be 'marra' and both women and kids (or just much younger people than the speaker) were 'hinny'... 'marra' is almost extinct now and 'hinny' is getting rarer, sadly.

It was also quite common to refer to another bloke as 'charver', but that's become an insult now equivalent to 'chav' elsewhere it Britain (both derive from the Romany word for 'boy' and were used like 'mate' in the travelling community).

 

[Kovu]

I always use mate. I use them a lot in text and just everday speaking. I do say cheers mate alot as well.

 

[KristyA]

I say "aye aye chuck" or love. Even the men in Yorkshire call other men love!