Pal word for friend

Расскажем о разнице между английскими словами со значением «друг», «приятель» и «знакомый».

Как на английском обратиться к другу или знакомому: a friend, an acquaintance, a companion, a mate, a buddy, a chap, a fellow или a pal? Сегодня разберем тонкости значений каждого из этих слов и приведем примеры их употребления в речи.

1. A friend

Основное значение слова a friend — «друг».

He’s a family friend. — Он друг семьи.

Другое значение этого существительного — «человек, которому можно доверять».

You can trust us, you’re among friends now. — Нам можно доверять, ты среди друзей.

Также словом a friend называют мецената — человека, который финансово поддерживает благотворительные фонды, социальные организации, деятелей искусства.

The friends of the Royal Academy raised money for the exhibition. — Меценаты Королевской академии собрали деньги для выставки.

В неформальном английском a friend может выступать не только существительным, но и глаголом. To friend означает «добавить в друзья в социальной сети».

I friended her and sent her a message. — Я добавил ее в друзья и отправил ей сообщение.

Приведем несколько распространенных словосочетаний и фраз со словом a friend.

Словосочетание/Фраза	Перевод
a childhood friend	друг детства
a close friend	близкий друг
a lifelong friend	друг на всю жизнь
a trusted friend	верный друг
a circle of friends	круг друзей
to be in the friend zone	быть во френдзоне
to become friends	становиться друзьями
to have friends in high places	иметь высокопоставленных друзей
to make friends with	подружиться
to remain friends	оставаться друзьями
A friend in need is a friend indeed.	Друзья познаются в беде.
What are friends for?	На что еще нужны друзья?
With friends like you, who needs enemies?	С такими друзьями враги не нужны.

2. A mate

Существительное a mate в значении «друг», «товарищ» используется только в неформальной беседе.

She’s my best mate. — Она моя лучшая подруга.
I’m meeting my mates at seven. — Я встречаюсь со своими товарищами в семь.

В формальной речи a mate употребляется в значении «помощник квалифицированного рабочего».

He was a carpenter’s mate. — Он был помощником плотника.

Изучите подборку словосочетаний со словом a mate.

Словосочетание	Перевод
a chief mate	старший помощник
a classmate	одноклассник
a mate for life	спутник жизни
a room mate	сосед по комнате
a soul mate	родственная душа
a sparring mate	спарринг-партнер (в спорте)
an age mate	ровесник

3. A pal

Слово a pal — еще один вариант неформального обращения к другу.

It’s my old pal John! — Это мой старый друг Джон!

A pal также используют в обращении к мужчине, который вас раздражает.

Hey, pal, put my things back or I’ll call the police. — Эй, приятель, положи мои вещи обратно, или я позвоню в полицию.

Слово a pal может быть частью фразового глагола: to pal up — заводить друзей, to pal around — проводить время вместе.

Who does Tom pal around with? — С кем Том обычно проводит время?
Nancy palled up with Tom while travelling round South America. — Нэнси подружилась с Томом во время путешествия по Южной Америке.

4. A buddy

Слово a buddy — это еще один неформальный способ обратиться к другу, с которым вы связаны общим делом.

At the university he was my study buddy. — В университете он был моим партнером по учебе.

Также словом a buddy, как и a pal, обращаются к мужчине, который вызывает у вас раздражение. И в то же время a buddy используют взрослые, доброжелательно общаясь с мальчиком.

Buddy, you are very rude! — Приятель, ты очень груб.
Is everything all right, buddy? — Все в порядке, приятель?

Приведем распространенные словосочетания со словом a buddy.

Словосочетание	Перевод
a bosom buddy	сердечный друг
a buddy-buddy	навязчивый приятель
a study buddy	партнер по учебе
a workout buddy	партнер по спорту
an old buddy	старый друг

5. A chap

Слово a chap означает «мужчина», в русском языке его эквиваленты — старина, приятель, парень.

We have a lot in common, old chap. — У нас много общего, старина.

Приведем популярные словосочетания со словом a chap.

Словосочетание	Перевод
a clever chap	умник
a funny little chap	чудак
an old chap	дружище, старина

6. An acquaintance

В английском языке словом an acquaintance называют знакомого.

She is more of an acquaintance than a friend. — Она больше знакомая, чем подруга.

В таблице приведем несколько словосочетаний со словом an acquaintance.

Словосочетание	Перевод
a casual acquaintance	случайный знакомый
a passing acquaintance	мимолетное знакомство
an intimate acquaintance	близкий знакомый
an old acquaintance	старый знакомый
to make smb’s acquaintance	познакомиться с кем-либо

7. A companion

Существительное a companion употребляют в отношении человека, с которым вы часто проводите время. Словом a companion можно назвать партнера, приятеля и собеседника.

She is not just my wife, she is my friend, my companion. — Она не только моя жена, она мой друг, мой партнер.

Интересно, что когда-то словом a companion называли молодую женщину, которой в путешествии платили за заботу о пожилом или больном человеке, а теперь a companion относят к любому попутчику.

She went travelling with a female companion. — Она отправилась в путешествие с компаньонкой.
He said I was his best travel companion. — Он сказал, что я его лучший попутчик.

Запомните некоторые словосочетания со словом a companion.

Словосочетание	Перевод
a close companion	близкий товарищ
a constant companion	постоянный спутник
a female companion	спутница, компаньонка
a personal companion	личный спутник
a travelling companion	попутчик

8. A fellow

Слово a fellow означает «приятель», но чаще используется в обращении к коллегам.

His fellow workers refused to support him. — Коллеги отказались его поддерживать.

Еще a fellow — это член педагогического коллектива в колледже или университете.

He is a fellow of the University of Oxford. — Он член Оксфордского университета.

Также словом a fellow называют членов профессиональных объединений.

He is a fellow of the American Film Institute. — Он член Американской киноакадемии.

В таблице привели примеры словосочетаний со словом a fellow.

Словосочетание	Перевод
a clever fellow	умник
a decent fellow	порядочный парень
a poor fellow	бедняга
a research fellow	научный сотрудник

Хотите преодолеть языковой барьер? Попробуйте направление Speaking в клубе Skills. Вы изучите базовые разговорные конструкции и отработаете их в речи.

Подведем итог: словом a friend называют друга, существительные a mate и a pal переводятся также, но используются в неформальной беседе; a buddy и a chap относят к приятелям; знакомых и собеседников называют an acquaintance и a companion; a fellow употребляют в отношении коллег и членов профессиональных объединений; а словами a pal и a buddy можно обратиться к мужчине, вызывающему раздражение.

Теперь предлагаем пройти тест, чтобы закрепить полученные знания.

What is another word for pal?

friend	mate
buddy	chum
companion	comrade
confidant	intimate
confidante	familiar

What’s another name for pal?

In this page you can discover 31 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for pal, like: buddy, bosom-friend, chum, friend, sidekick, associate, crony, confederate, mate, partner and enemy.

What is a fancy word for friend?

SYNONYMS FOR friend 1 comrade, chum, crony, confidant. 2 backer, advocate. 4 ally, associate, confrere, compatriot.

What can I say instead of Buddy?

buddy

• associate.
• chum.
• companion.
• comrade.
• confidant.
• crony.
• mate.
• peer.

What is slang for buddy?

Pal: A friend. Buddy: A close friend. Buddy man: An alternate version of “buddy”. Butty: A historical British variation on “buddy” used by miners. Bud: Short for “buddy”.

What type of word is Buddy?

Buddy is most commonly used as an informal word for a friend. Buddy is often used as a form of address (as in Hey, buddy, I haven’t seen you in a while!) or a term of endearment (an affectionate way of referring to someone). It is sometimes shortened to bud.

Is Buddy the same as friend?

Key Difference: Buddy is an informal way to particularly refer to a male friend. On the other hand, a friend is someone you hang out with in a group, someone to talk to, and to laugh with. Buddy and friend both are also used as synonyms.

Is Buddy a condescending term?

Any word that’s used to mean “Hey, you!” is condescending. so “Watch where you’re going, buddy!” is condescending. It implies the speaker is right and entitled to be angry at the actor, who’s wrong.

What’s the difference between buddy and friend?

As nouns the difference between buddy and friend is that buddy is a friend or casual acquaintance while friend is a person other than a family member, spouse or lover whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.

Can Buddy be used for a girl?

two girls – friend two boys – friend, buddy, dude a girl to a boy – friend, buddy, dude a boy to a girl – friend Girls can be called buddy, but it is rare. They are never called dude though. Friend is always the most proper.

What does it mean when girl calls you buddy?

Not only is she comfortable being buds, but she wants everyone to know you aren’t attached romantically. Similarly, if she calls you buddy, pal, bro, or dude and you’ve never kissed, or held hands, or anything usually hidden by conventional clothing, you’re in a zone clearly marked “Friends”.

What bestie means?

best friend

Can we say bestie for a boy?

The term is not associated with a gender. It is used more often by women with female best friends, probably because women are culturally more likely to identify a friend as a “best friend”, but it can be used by and for anyone. Bestie is typically used in a feminine way.

Can bestie be lovers?

Yes, it can be developed something among friends. If he/she already takes a significant part in your life, maybe you should find a new person, and keep her/him as a friend who can help you with that. If you’re sure you want to, it’s a good thing you don’t have to use different tricks to get better.

Who is best friend or lover?

A good friend is going to be on your mind for a while. You have an intimate bond with them, after all. With that said, it’s a bit odd if you are always thinking about this friend and you can’t stop. Love is when that person is always on their mind, no matter what.

What is the difference between bestie and lover?

As nouns the difference between bestie and lover is that bestie is beast while lover is one who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

How do I date my bestie?

7 Things To Know Before You Start Dating a Friend

1. Flirt to test the waters.
2. Make sure you have the right kind of friendship for a relationship.
3. Be really honest about why you want to date them.
4. Go all in if you’re going to do this.
5. Don’t involve your friends too much in the beginning.

How do I flirt with a friend?

Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Flirt With Confidence.
2. Take Advantage Of Touch Whenever It’s Natural.
3. Let Your Smiles And Eye Contact Linger.
4. Save All Your Flirting Just For Them.
5. Tease Them Gently.
6. Take It Easy At First.
7. Use All The Tools At Your Disposal.
8. Don’t Smother Them With Attention.

Can you kiss your bestie?

Never kiss a friend / Best Friend in Lips, at least not until you ask them out/both have started dating each other. It will only give awkward memories and moments to regret, for both of you and that for whole lifetime.

Is kissing allowed on Tiktok?

We do not allow the depiction, including digitally created or manipulated content, of nudity or sexual activity. Do not post, upload, stream, or share: Content that depicts or implies minor sexual activities including penetrative and non-penetrative sex, oral sex, or intimate kissing.

What is a friendly kiss?

Cheek kissing is a ritual or social kissing gesture to indicate friendship, family relationship, perform a greeting, to confer congratulations, to comfort someone, to show respect. In a cheek kiss, both persons lean forward and either lightly touch cheek with cheek or lip with cheek.

Why do human kiss on the lips?

Your lips have more nerve endings than any other part of your body. When you press them against another set of lips or even warm skin, it just feels good. Along with the oxytocin and dopamine that make you feel affection and euphoria, kissing releases serotonin — another feel-good chemical.

What does kiss on lips mean?

Kiss on the lips: implies passion, may mean “I love you” or “I want to date you.” If it is carried out very quickly, just barely touching one another’s lips, it may mean simply friendship. Kiss on the hands: either in women or men implies admiration, tenderness, or desire for love.

Why does he bite my lip when kissing?

When the couple bites each other’s lips while gently kissing, it means that they are in a relationship in which they both maintain a healthy and full sex life. The intensity of the bite can also give hints on the person’s romantic and seductive personality.

What is another word for friend or pal?

English has a huge number of words for friends and acquaintances. Someone can be your mate, your buddy, your colleague, your partner, your comrade, your compatriot, your dude, your sister, your crony, your homeboy, and on and on and on.

What is Pal short for?

PALAcronymDefinitionPALPhase Alternation Line (television format)PALPolice Athletic LeaguePALPolice Activities League (youth resource organization)PALPhilippine Airlines119

Is pal a slang word?

A pal is a good friend. If you have a friend you think of as a buddy or a mate, that’s a pal. Your earliest pals are often the kids in your neighborhood or at school.

Is pal a bad word?

Well pal is a really ugly word; you kind of have to spit it out at someone. It makes a much better pejorative than anything else.

What type of word is pal?

Definition of pal (Entry 2 of 2) intransitive verb. : to be or become pals : associate as pals they’ve palled around for years.

Is PAL analog or digital?

PAL stands for Phase Alternating Line and is a standard for analog video. PAL delivers 625 scan lines per image, 25 frames per second and has a 50-Hz grid frequency.

Is pal still used?

Digital TVs are fully capable of pushing past these limitations (specifically frame rates), but we still see NTSC and PAL in use today. Both formats are now digital, but they still operate on either 30 or 60 FPS to support old CRT TVs.

Should I shoot in PAL or NTSC?

The short answer for most people will be NTSC. If you’re producing videos that will be viewed globally, NTSC is a safer choice by default – most PAL VCRs and DVD players can play NTSC video, whereas NTSC players generally can’t play PAL video.

Is NTSC analog or digital?

NTSC, named after the National Television System Committee, is the analog television color system that was introduced in North America in 1954 and stayed in use until digital conversion. It was one of three major analog color television standards, the others being PAL and SECAM.

What is difference between analog and digital?

Analog and digital signals are the types of signals carrying information. The major difference between both signals is that the analog signals that have continuous electrical signals, while digital signals have non-continuous electrical signals.

Does PAL NTSC matter with HDMI?

There’s not really a NTSC vs PAL issue anymore if you run HDMI, but there is still region locking.

What does NTSC stand for?

National Television Standards Committee

Is the UK PAL or NTSC?

PAL is the most widely used standard for video and is used in the following countries: United Kingdom, Europe (except France), Australia, New Zealand, and some countries of South America.

What is PAL and NTSC format?

PAL stands for Phase Alternating Line. NTSC is the standard broadcast format in the United States, while PAL is the standard broadcast format in Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia. The differences in resolution quality also account for why a PAL formatted DVD will not play properly play on an NTSC player.

Can I convert NTSC to PAL?

You can’t play NTSC video or DVD on the PAL system or PAL video on the NTSC system. The solution is to use an NTSC to PAL converter to change NSTC to PAL standard with several options. In this way, you can watch your NTSC videos on your TV without any hassle.

Is 24 fps NTSC or PAL?

24p cameras do not, as NTSC video cameras do, shoot 30 interlaced frames per second (60 fields); they shoot 24 full progressive frames per second. Some of the emerging HD formats support the 24p framerate in addition to 60i and 50i (PAL).

How can I use NTSC TV in PAL country?

Devices that use NTSC standards take video input broadcasting at 60hz frequency. On the other hand devices that use PAL standards use 50hz video broadcasting frequency. You won’t be able to watch TV easily if your device has the wrong standards. If you buy a television screen in your country, it will work.

Key Difference: Both buddy and pal are one and the same thing. Buddy is an informal way to refer to a male friend. Pal is an informal term used for a male friend or it can also be used for talking to a man who has made you angry.

Buddy and pal are also used as synonyms. Both words are used to refer to a friend. These are the most popular words among friends, but pal is largely unused. A friend is the one who shows the value of their friendship by expressing the tendency to desire what is best for the other, mutual understanding and compassion; ability to go to each other for emotional support, etc.

According to Dictionary.com, ‘Buddy’ is:

• To be a companion; be friendly or on intimate terms.
• To become friendly; be on friendly or intimate terms.
• To work closely together: to buddy up with a student from another high school.
• Buddy up to, to become friendly with or curry the favor of

Buddy is an informal way to refer to a male friend. It might refer to a best friend or in the American English, it is also applicable for mate. Buddy is sometimes used as a synonym for friend. It is also specifically denoted to a friend whom with one engages in a particular activity, such as study buddy, shopping buddy, movie buddy, etc. Anybody can have a buddy to do different kind of activities. It is an informal word, but not slang.

According to Chuck and Lency Spezzano, there are five types of buddies:

• The Like-Minded Buddy – the buddies who feels very familiar and help each other with mutual and effective ways of dealing with issues.

• The Chalk and Cheese Buddy – this buddy appears to be the exact opposite of yourself. You tent to express the same emotion in different ways.

• The Significant other body – this buddy reminds you of a significant person in your life.

• The Shadow Buddy – this buddy represents parts of yourself you have judged and hidden.

• The Guardian Angel Buddy – you feel he is to be your angel; the person who will guide you through each and every moment of your life.

According to Dictionary.com, ‘Pal’ is:

• A very close, intimate friend; comrade; chum.
• An accomplice.

There is not much to define on pal. Pal is an informal, old-fashioned word, which is not heard so commonly today. It is used for a person who is a friend from one’s childhood. It can also be used in an informal term or it can also be used for talking to a man who has annoyed you or made you angry. The usage of pal sometimes refers to the context of a brother. A pal can be a non-living thing too. For example, kid’s pals are their toys, with whom they love to spend time with and share their feelings or joys.

Comparison between Buddy and Pal:

	Buddy	Pal
Definition	Buddy is an informal way to particularly refer to a male friend or it can be anyone.	Pal in an informal term used for a male friend or it can also be used for talking to a man who has made you angry.
Refer	Usually, a male	Mostly refers to a male friend as a brother.
Term	It is an informal word	It is usually an informal word
Examples	Hey, buddy, what are you doing? Hi Buddy, wassup?	Albert is one of his oldest pals, and a school friend. Hey look, pal, I’m only doing my job here.

A pal is a good friend. When you’re feeling nervous, sad, or lonely after moving to a new town, it can make you feel better to talk to a pal. If you have a friend you think of as a buddy or a mate, that’s a pal. Your earliest pals are often the kids in your neighborhood or at school.

Simply so Can you say pal to a girl? If you’re just looking for a term, a reference, you could call someone your “pal”. That is also a word more common for males, but consider the term pen-pal; it can be gender-neutral. However, “pal” is rarely used in any positive sense today. Alternatively you could use “BFF” (best-friend-forever) or “best friend”.

Is pal a bad word? Yes, it depends on the context, which in turn often determines what phrases you use: “Listen, pal” is almost always negative/aggresive. “How are you doing, pal?” is almost always positive/friendly. That’s because “Listen, [insert noun similar to pal]” isn’t a nice or friendly way to address someone.

also What is pal and friend? As nouns the difference between pal and friend

is that pal is (colloquial) a friend, buddy, mate, cobber, someone to hang around with while friend is a person other than a family member, spouse or lover whose company one enjoys and towards whom one feels affection.

What does PAL mean from a girl?

informal. : a girl/woman who is a friend.

Is pal a boy or girl? Its Pronunciation is PAHL. Pal Origin / Usage is ‘ Hindi Baby Names ‘ . This name is especially approved for ‘ Boys ‘ Gender.
…
Pal Name Meaning.

Name:	Pal
Gender:	Boy
Meaning:	‘Tiny, petite’
Pronunciation:	‘PAHL’
Urdu / Hindi :	‘ पल ‘

Can I say dude to a girl?

In the early 1960s, dude became prominent in surfer culture as a synonym of guy or fella. The female equivalent was “dudette” or “dudess”. but these have both fallen into disuse and “dude” is now also used as a unisex term.

Where did pal come from? Word History: The word pal comes from the Indic language of the Romani people. First recorded in English in the second half of the 1700s, pal was borrowed from a Romani word meaning “brother, comrade,” which occurs as phal in the Romani spoken in England and phral in the Romani spoken in continental Europe.

What does PAL stand for on TikTok?

Summary of Key Points

“Parents Are Listening” is the most common definition for PAL on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. PAL. Definition: Parents Are Listening.

Is Pal an American word? PAL (noun) American English definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary.

Is PAL an American word?

PAL (noun) American English definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary.

What region is PAL? The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Asia, Africa, Europe, South America and Oceania. It is so named because of the PAL television standard traditionally used in some of those regions, as opposed to the NTSC standard traditionally used in Japan and most of North America.

Can you call a girl bruh?

Yes. Gendered language is archaic non-sense and “bruh” -in the sense you’re describing- is a slang word. Slang words have very loose rules regarding usage. You can call anyone or anything “bruh”.

Can we call a girl bro?

Debatably, ‘bro’ is the most common gendered term of casual address used by women for women. Until the 20th Century, the word was merely an abbreviation of the word ‘brother’, implying a male sibling, a religious title in Church, or a way for African-American men to express solidarity with each other.

Can we say bro to a girl? Bro is not a word. Its an emotion. Nowadays, girls call girls bro, guys call guys bro, guys to girls and vice versa. Bro can be used for anyone.

How do you pronounce PAL?

What is another word for friend or pal?

In this page you can discover 31 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for pal, like: buddy, bosom-friend, friend, chum, sidekick, associate, crony, confederate, mate, partner and enemy.

What does PAL mean in Scotland? Report Ad. Alright, hen (Scottish word for girl) or pal (Scottish word for friend)?

What does PAL region stand for?

PAL is an abbreviation for Phase Alternate Line. This is the video format standard used in many European countries. A PAL picture is made up of 625 interlaced lines and is displayed at a rate of 25 frames per second.

Is Pal short for something? Informal. a friend or close associate; chum; comrade.

What does S o mean on Snapchat?

According to both Cyber Definitions and Urban Dictionary, the most common definitions of the internet slang term S/O are “significant other” and “shout out.” According to Merriam-Webster, the term significant other is used to refer to either a person who is important to someone’s well-being, or that person’s spouse, …

Do people still say pal? Lots of people do use it, but it’s a very casual word. You can use it as a very informal, possibly somewhat rude, form of address (“Hey, pal, watch where you’re going!”).

How do I use PAL in Word?

(1) He is a pal of mine. (2) You’re my best pal. (3) Look, pal, I don’t want you hanging around. (4) Sakota was her cousin and bosom pal.

Is pal a girl or boy? Pal Name Meaning

Name:	Pal
Gender:	Boy
Meaning:	‘Tiny, petite’
Pronunciation:	‘PAHL’
Urdu / Hindi :	‘ पल ‘

• #1

Hello.

Lately I’ve been wondering about following 4 words: mate, pal, buddy, dude. Namely, do we use them only when we speak to a MAN? My brain automatically associates these three words with a man, therefore I would never use them while talking with a woman. What is the truth?

• #2

Your thinking makes sense to me, cjrt. I never use «pal», «buddy», or «dude» when I’m speaking directly to women or girls. Because I speak American English, I don’t use the word «mate» for «friend.»

«Pal» and «dude» are now pretty rare in my part of the world. «Buddy» still exists, but I don’t hear young people using it much.

• #3

Thank you for your answer!
Could someone else answer too? I’d like to have it confirmed.

• #4

Your thinking makes sense to me, cjrt. I never use «pal», or «mate» when I’m speaking directly to women or girls. Because I speak British English, I don’t use the word «buddy» or «dude» for «friend.»

«Pal» is now pretty rare in my part of the world. «Mate» still exists, and is used informally in a lower register to mean «friend.»

• #5

Are pal and such really uncommon to others? Anyway, the only gendered term of the four is «dude», the rest are perfectly fine to describe females, it’s just that A) when speaking to females, I don’t believe men use a lower register, similar to how people say not to sware to a women & B) men don’t want to «friendzone» their female friends, they want to keep them as dating options.E

EDIT: just adding to what I meant, «pal» and «buddy» (not sure about mate) are used for close friends. You can call any person your on decent terms with your «friend».

• #6

Are pal and such really uncommon to others?

To me the usages «This is Jim, he’s my pal.» and «A pal of mine, Bruce, said you could eat them.» are both vanishingly rare.

«Pal» seems to be reserved for the severe threat: «Look, pal, you do that once more and you’re dead, got it?… Pal…»

• #7

Hi, Jordy Bro.

Paul Q’s opinion about «pal» is the same as mine. That word is just about dead over here. When I hear it, it usually occurs in some threat, just as Paul noted. I associate the word with old gangster movies.

As far as I can tell, «buddy» is becoming an old-man’s word in my part of the U.S. I hear newer variants like «homie», «homes», «dawg» and «cuz», but I can’t bring myself to use them. At 54, I can’t say those words are natural for me, and I’d sound ridiculous if I tried to imitate the speech of the young and the hip. I don’t even hear «man» nearly as often as I did when I was 20: I don’t know, man. It could be a UFO.

Last edited: Feb 12, 2015

• #8

Thanks, «buddies».

• #9

I’ve heard «pal», «buddy», and «dude» used only in addressing males. I’ve never heard an American address anyone as «mate».

• #10

I would call any of my mates ‘mate’, regardless of sex, and have often been called ‘mate’ (by males and females alike), despite being a woman / former girl. I never say any of the other words. ‘Mate’ just means ‘friend’. My mother even used to call me ‘mate’ as a term of endearment. I don’t see any point in gendering this word.

• #11

Pal is common in Scotland as an alternative to mate, both about friends and to address total strangers. It might be used to talk about a child’s friends of either gender, but not usually about adult women.

• #12

Unfortunately, the usage of all of these varies so much from country to country, region to region, group to group and person to person that it’s extremely difficult to give you anything definitive, cjrt. For example, buddy is in my circle a unisex way to refer to friends. It’s also sometimes used in a non-friendly way, but only toward males. And while I use dude only toward males, I know younger people (say, late 20s and younger) frequently use it for both males and females, and I know because I’ve heard them.

Here are some earlier threads on this topic: buddy, mate, pal
Difference between friend, buddy, mate, dude

• #13

Yes, ‘friend’ is used for anyone you know, because ‘acquaintance’ for someone who isn’t close enough to really be called a ‘friend’ is too long. ‘buddy’ is sometimes shortened to ‘bud’, and children have ‘play pals’. Similarly, a woman will address a group of women as ‘you guys’. But saying ‘My mate, Mary’ might be interpreted as an unusual way of saying that Mary is your partner, especially in the US, where ‘mate’ isn’t used to mean ‘friend’. It is used in compound words like ‘workmate’, though.

• #14

As far as I can tell, «buddy» is becoming an old-man’s word in my part of the U.S. I hear newer variants like «homie», «homes», «dawg» and «cuz», but I can’t bring myself to use them. At 54, I can’t say those words are natural for me, and I’d sound ridiculous if I tried to imitate the speech of the young and the hip. I don’t even hear «man» nearly as often as I did when I was 20: I don’t know, man. It could be a UFO.

Hello owlman5!

About your new words:

homie — already saw in the Net

cuz — it’s not the short for because? Or it has the same pronunciation as the short of cousin?

dawg — will never use after my internet research

• #15

Unfortunately, the usage of all of these varies so much from country to country, region to region, group to group and person to person that it’s extremely difficult to give you anything definitive

‘Intimate’ terms are unbelievably variable. (Think of all those names for mother: mum, mom, momma, ma, mam, mama, mammy, mummy, mumsy …)

Here’s my personal take from the northwest of England:

Everybody

can address

anyone

as mate, and they do, all the time.
Pal is less common, but still fairly common, but more often used for referring than addressing.
Teenagers here routinely address one another as dude … and sound fairly ridiculous doing so. I was once addressed as dude and nearly swallowed my dentures. (I’m 50.)
I’ve known several people who routinely used buddy [pron. /ˈbʊde/], sometimes (erm) adapted as goodbud [/ˈgʊdˌbʊd/].

• #16

Teenagers here routinely address one another as dude … and sound fairly ridiculous doing so. I was once addressed as dude and nearly swallowed my dentures. (I’m 50.)

Being of a similar age but entirely different English speaking culture, I am comfortable being a dude and occasionally have used the word myself. So it’s not possible to give clear guidance on who will find your friendly term friendly.

For example, «pal» or «buddy» used to address a stranger in Boston area is as likely to be assertive or hostile as congenial, but context usually clears that up pretty quickly.

And for the record, all of these seem masculine to me since that’s the only way I’ve heard them used.

Last edited: Feb 12, 2015

• #17

Moving down from the northwest of England, here’s my personal take from the north Midlands:
Males sometimes address me as mate. I sometimes address males as mate. I never address females as mate. I couldn’t tell you whether other males around here address females as mate, whether females address females as mate or whether females address males as mate.
Males sometimes address me as pal. I don’t address anyone as pal.
Yes, teenagers here use dude. I don’t (and I didn’t when I was a teenager either, because I hadn’t heard the word, which is still mostly AE).
Buddy is AE in my book. I don’t use it, but I occasionally hear BE speakers using it, eg the bloke who fixes this computer, who is Derby born-and-bred. Go figure (as we don’t say here).

• #18

Hi, Anoth3rworld.

cuz — it’s not the short for because? Or it has the same pronunciation as the short of cousin?

It’s short for «cousin». People also use that spelling for «because», but that’s not what I was referring to in that post.

We can use it when we’re trying to get a stranger’s attention in a friendly way. Hey, pal, though you’d want to know you left your lights on. We can also use when it we’re trying to get a stranger’s attention in a not so friendly way. Excuse me, pal, but I was in line before you. Whether chummy or charged, what’s the origin of pal?

Pal

The Oxford English Dictionary first attests pal around 1770. Early on, a pal referred to a “partner”…in crime. In his 1789 Life’s Painter of Variegated Characters in Public and Private Life, the colorful Englishman George Parker defined pal as a “comrade, when highwaymen rob in pairs, they say such a one was his or my pal.” 

But could Parker’s pal have been stereotyping? Pal comes from the English-Romani pal or phal, meaning “brother” or “comrade,” a variant of continental Romani pral, plal, or phral, used especially around Turkey. Romani comprises varieties of language spoken by over 4 million Roma, which many derogatorily call Gypsies. Romani is closely related to languages spoken in northern India, which is why etymologists think pal ultimately goes back to the Sanskrit bhrata, “brother.”

The Sanskrit bhrata and English brother look like pals, don’t they? That’s because they both trace back to the same Indo-European root, *bhrater-, also source of the Latin-based fraternity. 

Over time, pal softened to “friend”  leading to the likes of old pals by the 1880s, around the time pal begins palling around. Pen-pals, replacing pen-friend, emerges by 1920s; gal pal, by the 1930s. And palimony, while more seriously awarded to an unmarried partner since the 1970s, actually dates back to the 1920s, a humorous blend of pal and alimony for divorced couples still on good terms. In recent years, as we saw, pal has shifted in tone again, disguising aggression or sarcasm through a polite, mild, and neutral word.

What’s next for pal? Well, it probably doesn’t care where it’s going, just as long as it’s with you. Put it there, pal.

m ∫ r ∫