What does it mean? Another word for friend. Common in Britain as well, but used even more enthusiastically by Aussies, who pepper the ends of their sentences with a longer, stretched out “maaaaate” that conveys friendliness and establishes a relaxed bond between the speakers.
Mate. (Noun) Friend; used in a variety of different contexts. Addressing an actual friend: “G'day, mate.” Expression of congratulations: “Maaate!”
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.
Mateship derives from mate, meaning friend, commonly used in Australia as an amicable form of address.
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.
Can you say mate to a girl in Australia? Yes, “mate” is a very common term used in Australia and can be used when referring to both a male or female.
Bunji: Aboriginal English for mate. Eg. “How're you doing bunji?”
"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.
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”.
“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.
Australians more commonly refer to their girlfriends by the kind of generic slang you might hear elsewhere in the English speaking world, such as babe or sweetie. However, some specifically Australian examples of slang include the old classic “Sheila”, “missus” or just “love”.
There are a few specific Australian slang terms for boyfriend. One common one is to call them a wombat, or sometimes a possum. You may also hear “my fella”. Other than that, though, they mostly share their slang terms with other English slang, including terms like babe.
Yeah nah yeah = yes. No wonder you're confused! A commonly-used word here is mate, which normally means friend. But pay attention to the person's tone when they say it – sometimes, it's used in a passive-aggressive way, and it probably means the opposite of friend!
Hooroo = Goodbye
The Australian slang for goodbye is Hooroo and sometimes they even Cheerio like British people.
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.
Strewth! A common word that Aussies use to express surprise, exclamation or disappointment. Similar to saying, “oh my god!”, for example. The more you use it, the more familiar you'll become with it.
It is a sign of respect to refer to those older than you as Aunty or Uncle especially if they are family. This includes extended family. By using Aunty or Uncle you show that you respect them, their leadership and their lived experience which typically outweighs those who are younger.
Use of the term Aunty or Uncle
Titles such as Aunty and Uncle are used as marks of respect for Elders in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
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. In Australia, you'll also hear mate used in an ironic sense.
Like the equivalent Australian term of “mate”, “bro” can be applied to all manner of people, with the difference in meaning only distinguishable by tone. There's “good to see you bro”, which should be taken as a friendly greeting.
Common in many parts of the UK and Australia, 'mate' is a friendly way to address a person informally.
When used to address somebody or get their attention, the word mate is usually reserved for men only. However, women might often be heard referring to themselves as 'good mates' too.
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!"