The word mate… hmmmmm…. so much to say about this little 4 lettered word. Most commonly used to soften a conversation. Follow up a confrontation with ‘mate’ and it’s not quite as harsh is it? Or did you forget someone’s name? Doesn’t matter, just say ‘mate’ and you’re safe!

Buzzfeed said in an article that these are the ways mate is used:

To say hello to someone
To reference a friend
To express excitement for someone
To express disbelief
To replace the phrase, ‘here’s the thing’ or ‘let me tell you’ when you’re about to drop a truth bomb on someone
To warn someone that you’re annoyed with them
To tell someone they need to chill
To replace the phrase, ‘this guy’, in an affectionate manner
To replace the words ‘bitch’ or ‘dude’
To accentuate a stern conversation
To disagree with someone
To address someone when you don’t know or can’t remember their name
To verbally shake your head at someone
And to show aggression online

(Seriously though, how many times did you say out loud mate in these contexts)

But what about women? Can women use the word mate? I did a quick google search on this and found one website and their top rule on using the word, is that women must NEVER use it!

Tag a ‘mate’ that uses the word a lot!