Mate?

[bauldbairn]

I hate it, I consider someone who I don't know, calling me by that name as rude. I am not their mate. Grrr

Hate myself for it but I have to agree, very impersonal.

 

[sheva]

In one of my first jobs as a young lad my new boss brought me some forms to fill in. he then returned an hour or so later and asked for the completed forms. "I haven`t done it yet mate, I`ve been busy" said I.
I`m not your mate, I`m your f***ihg manager" said he " now fill the f*ckers in."
Never really got on with him after that.

 

[postman]

A habit started a few years back which seems to have died out .Some sales person who you had never met .Asking you your name and then getting all buddy buddy .Robert this Robert that.

 

[ianrauk]

LOL oh dear!

In one of my first jobs as a young lad my new boss brought me some forms to fill in. he then returned an hour or so later and asked for the completed forms. "I haven`t done it yet mate, I`ve been busy" said I.
I`m not your mate, I`m your f***ihg manager" said he " now fill the f*ckers in."
Never really got on with him after that.

 

[marinyork]

Don't really have a problem with it. Am more likely to think what people have described but of pal and buddy - that is just people from different places so I know not to get worked up. You get called luv and duck round here whether you're a man or a woman anyway.

 

[bauldbairn]

A habit started a few years back which seems to have died out .Some sales person who you had never met .Asking you your name and then getting all buddy buddy .Robert this Robert that.

Worked as a "Sales Engineer" for the last seven years and deliberately never tried to be over familiar with potential customers, because I hate over familiarity myself.

 

[atbman]

One simply uses it with the lower orders in order not to sound patronising

 

[Yellow Fang]

In the West Country they call you 'lover'. I couldn't cope with that.

 

[potsy]

I never got used to 'cock' as a term of endearment.Remember my grandad using it a lot in normal conversation,not heard it for yonks though.

 

[Dave Davenport]

I do tend to use it a lot, mainly because I'm crap at remembering people's names. I do have a slight excuse of having lived in Australia for a while though ( even if it was 25 years ago).

 

[ComedyPilot]

Only one of my male friends calls me either pet or petal and I must admit I LOVE it when he does...

Thant's nice of him to be so charming, luv.

 

[darkstar]

I'm fine with it, and regarding it's use in a shop, it depends on the type of establishment. Corner shop or supermarket, fine. Expensive fashion store or jewlers, not ok.

 

[Cubist]

Call me old fashioned but I only use it with people I know.

I remember a young recruit getting all flustered and calling his Inspector "mate" once. Tell you what, that old bugger knew how to give a bollocking!

 

[XmisterIS]

I tend only to use it with people I know.

I don't mind be called it, although it does sound a bit patronising when I don't know the person.

At any rate, I prefer it immensely to "chap". I absolutely cannot stand people who call me "chap", as in, "That's great, thanks chap". It sounds very condescending to me.

 

[gbb]

Mate doesn't bother me except from when it's from someone who's very young, when it sounds a bit odd. Where I come from men call each other "duck" or "youth" and I wasn't bothered about that either. I found it strange when I first went to Sheffield and other blokes would call me "love" though!

Not so much annoying, but not making any sense is when someone clearly younger than yourself calls you 'boy'...when you're old enough to be his dad
Ive had it said a few times round here (Peterborough), It must be a local thing. Never got used to the bloody place.