Irish people using the word "Mate"

pragmatic1

old hippy wrote: »

It's nothing new, mates. I been using it for 20 odd years. At home and here in London town.

Some people are too sensitive when it comes to language, you get me?

God but that London Jafaken accent is horrible. Worst accent in the world.

Greentopia

I don't see the problem. Language is fluid, we all borrow words and phrases from other countries, languages and cultures. So what? Part and parcel of the free movement of people and globilization, the internet and so on and one of the reasons the English language is the richest language in the world.

OP are you also "embarrassed" for British people who now use words like 'craic' (which is actually English in origin-oh the embarrassment! lol) or 'gob' for example? and if not then why the embarrassment at us using words like 'mate'?

HalloweenJack

If people are so touchy about which English words we use when speaking English, why don't we just speak our own language instead?

Tbh, there'd be a cause for complaining if people were saying mate when speaking in Irish.

People are just looking for reasons to get offended if they're rejecting Irish people using an English word when speaking English because that word's "too English". :rolleyes:

The mind boggles at the logic.

MungBean

Nothing wrong with it at all, its a pretty nice way to address someone.

Better than "lad" or "horse" ya hear from the idiots down this way anyway.

Pangea

HalloweenJack wrote: »

People are just looking for reasons to get offended if they're rejecting Irish people using an English word when speaking English because that word's "too English". :rolleyes:

The mind boggles at the logic.

I see your logic but its not that simple, there are many different dialects.
We in Ireland speak Hiberno-English which is quite different from the 'Proper' English.

Skunkle wrote: »

Nothing wrong with it at all, its a pretty nice way to address someone.

Better than "lad" or "horse" ya hear from the idiots down this way anyway.

Don't see anything wrong with 'lad'. I use it all the time.

MungBean

Pangea wrote: »

I see your logic but its not that simple, there are many different dialects.
We in Ireland speak Hiberno-English which is quite different from the 'Proper' English.



Don't see anything wrong with 'lad'. I use it all the time.

Problem I have with lad is that its used way too much. Its not like the rest of them, its just thrown in everywhere.

Typical conversation I hear with people using 'lad'

Well lad.
Well.
Any craic lad.
Aw lad you missed some craic.
What happened lad ?
Someones head exploded lad.
Who's head?
That lad that lives under the bridge.
Jesus lad, was he alright after it ?
Nah lad, he's fecked I'd say.

Ok maybe its not a typical conversation but you see the amount of places it sneaks into. Unlike mate which is used generally only when greeting someone or thanking someone lad is thrown in everywhere. Its like the boggar Irish version of Dude.

You know how annoying and stupid some Americans sound when they say the word dude every 2 seconds ? Thats what it sounds like to me hearing people use the word lad. Maybe its just my neck of the woods that its used so much but it annoys the hell out of me, and combined with horse it drives me insane.

timberland

jog on bruv....

parc

I lived in England for a period. Sometimes I'd text one of my English mates (;)) "mate" at the end of a sentence.

But I gotta say, it never ever ever ever felt right saying it. Always weird when you here a foreigner saying it too. I knew an Italian and a few others from abroad that said it. It just never sounded right

mixed up

Well lad ftw

Yakult

Well bah!

~Becktron

Alotta the people I know use "friend".
Some people don't like it.

"Howiye friend"
"Hello friend"
"Awh friend"
"Whats up friend"
"Yennowardimeanfriend"

Etc, etc...

Peter B

Karmaman wrote: »

Better off with Buddy....A la Keith Duffy, Howarye Buddies

I'm not your buddy guuuuuuuuuy!

Snakeblood

If I don't say mate, how can I bond with the lower classes?

sleepysniper

Guys, dude, and awesome. Fookin hate it when I hear Irish people usin them words. Yer not in America FFS!

Lady Chuckles

I hate the word 'mate' altogether. 'Innit' isn't very pretty either. I just don't see the point. Irish people have their own cool ways of saying things, why copy something the rest of the world say already? It's a little dull if you ask me.

So I copy what the Irish people say instead

For instance, I learned to call people 'snack box' the other day. I used it on my boyfriend straight away. He wasn't too impressed, but I thought it was hilarious :rolleyes:

Orando Broom

Geezer
Horse
Pelican
Me Oul fruit (pronouncd froouh)
Chap
Chum
Dawg
Dogg
Homeboy

books4sale

Yo!

Tears in me peepers here readin this.....

All dem stuuuuupid words from dem far off lands......where would them thick paddys be goin usin' dem?

Alright horseboxes, smell ye all later.

Wahaha, sloppers!

Jay D

Think the world becoming more accessible opens op all sorts of new terms and it's a bit more than a few years at this stage, build a bridge and get over it.

books4sale

^^^^^^^^^^^Spoooot ON!

More than a few here still stuck on 'da Biddy n Miley' show.

Oh well holy god! where's me tae?

Horse

Pangea

Skunkle wrote: »

Problem I have with lad is that its used way too much. Its not like the rest of them, its just thrown in everywhere.

Typical conversation I hear with people using 'lad'

Well lad.
Well.
Any craic lad.
Aw lad you missed some craic.
What happened lad ?
Someones head exploded lad.
Who's head?
That lad that lives under the bridge.
Jesus lad, was he alright after it ?
Nah lad, he's fecked I'd say.

Ok maybe its not a typical conversation but you see the amount of places it sneaks into. Unlike mate which is used generally only when greeting someone or thanking someone lad is thrown in everywhere. Its like the boggar Irish version of Dude.

You know how annoying and stupid some Americans sound when they say the word dude every 2 seconds ? Thats what it sounds like to me hearing people use the word lad. Maybe its just my neck of the woods that its used so much but it annoys the hell out of me, and combined with horse it drives me insane.

You threw lad into every sentence you could think of there lol
Think you are reading too much into it.
You could do the same for 'mate'.
In my neck of the woods it isn't used in every sentence like that.
At least lad is natural to use in Ireland unlike 'mate'.
And I rarely hear 'horse' only when someone is messing or something.

Lady Chuckles

Skunkle wrote: »

You know how annoying and stupid some Americans sound when they say the word dude every 2 seconds ? Thats what it sounds like to me hearing people use the word lad. Maybe its just my neck of the woods that its used so much but it annoys the hell out of me, and combined with horse it drives me insane.

'Horse-lad' ??? :rolleyes:

Lanaier

Not going to read 15 pages on this topic, however let me say this:

I see much more people on a day to day basis from the UK and the USA than people from Ireland.
I say "mate" all the time and sometimes say "dude"
When I return to Ireland I'm not going to be caring about what other people think of those words.

Deal with it.

coco_lola

The word "horse" between men really bothers me

"Alright horse"
"Cheers horse!"
"Story horse?"

There's just. no. need. :mad:

Funglegunk

A good Dundalk 'Welllllll' does me just fine.

Or alternatively:

Hello
Hi
Hey

Tiocfaidh Armani

What's this "boss" talk some folk have. You're not fecking a traveller.

Gearheart

giant_midget wrote: »

Yea "dude" too, and "awesome" awesome is something the ninja turtles say to each other, not embarrasing irish people

lol am guilty of usen this alot , tho i cant stand boss or horse!

am working on radical but it doenst seem 2 work lol

StephenHendry

i used the word 'lad' a lot when with my mates, event txts quite a lot more so than mate. 'lad' again being picked up from people in the uk using a lot then naturally creeping into our conversation over here.

tfitzgerald

When somebody calls me SON even if the are 10 years younger than me. it drives me demented not even the pink tablets make me feel better when I hear that :rolleyes::)

Mountjoy Mugger

It could be worse, me aul segotia.

MungBean

Pangea wrote: »

You threw lad into every sentence you could think of there lol
Think you are reading too much into it.
You could do the same for 'mate'.
In my neck of the woods it isn't used in every sentence like that.
At least lad is natural to use in Ireland unlike 'mate'.
And I rarely hear 'horse' only when someone is messing or something.

I know but I was just trying to show how its used down here. Could be used like mate in saying "Alright mate" "Well lad". Or can be used like dude or man "aww man", "aww lad" or "here lad, whats the deal with the civic, is she mint ?" But its also used for the lads, that lad over there, my lad and I regularly hear both people saying it an unnatural amount of times in a conversation.

And its a bit more Irish than mate but so are lots of words, if everyone suddenly start calling each other spud or tayto it would still sound shít. Horse is used widely down here and not just in messin.

HavingCrack

OP, be thankful the American 'bro' hasn't made it's way to these shores yet. Trust me, random strangers calling you bro is far more annoying than mate for some reason.

tfitzgerald

When someone calls you matey in my neck of the woods you are in trouble sham is another word and if you hear it you should get ready to run :

LaVail

The worst of all is Irish people who say "yo man that guy is a total douche" or "what up douche bag"

freaks

IrishEyes19

Amazing how on boards, theres such a trend to like some silly sarcastic comment that basically tears down the OP's post, which was actually a fair statement/observation

And I agree, sick of hearing awesome, mate, cheers, dude, man.............it's like a constant barrage of US tv talk, and the fake american accents that come with it. Fair enough if you are from the US. But hearing an Irish kid or adult speak like that is cringe worthy.

Does it affect my daily life, no. Does it grate on my nerves though when I hear it. Eh yes.

readyletsgo

HavingCrack wrote: »

OP, be thankful the American 'bro' hasn't made it's way to these shores yet. Trust me, random strangers calling you bro is far more annoying than mate for some reason.

Eh, bro has been in use for years in Dublin anyway, I wouldnt use it.
I do use dude myself, but its funny.

Mate is for the English and Ozzys.

I dont know anyone who uses mate except a few people in the 80's.

Roadtrippin

Much prefer the old "lad", "boy" or "bud" at the end of a sentence... Mate sounds so try-hard.

I used to have an annoying colleague from Bristol who said "mate" the whole time... Since then I don't like it, especially not when Irish people use it.

We have loads of regionalisms instead that are way cooler than mate... ever heard someone use the phrase "innocent boy" (used like boy or lad) - it is hilarious. Cracks me up when I hear it.