buddy/mate/etc.

[GeneD]

When talking to someone (even a stranger) in an informal way, one can address him 'buddy' or 'mate'. Is it true for women? Do 'buddy' and/or 'mate' work for them? If not, are there any counterparts?

 

[jutfrank]

This is a very complex question with no simple answers.

You can call people whatever you want but that doesn't mean that they'll like it. I know people who detest being called buddy and/or mate, others who quite like it, and others who really don't care.

As a general rule, in England, we don't use buddy or mate to address women. There are some counterparts, yes, but I strongly suggest that you as a non-native speaker don't use them. You don't really need them when you could just say Excuse me or Thank you, as appropriate.

In my opinion, the complexity of this question comes from so many factors, including the social class of the speaker, the social class of the listener, geographical factors, cultural factors, levels of familiarity, situational context and much more.

 

[Yankee]

In Am.E. you would never use/hear "mate" as described in your post. And neither term would be used for/among women. One would not use "buddy" in addressing a stranger except possibly in a confrontational way.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

And it gets even more complicated. Some Americans think it's polite to call a man sir or call a woman ma'am or miss, but others think it's ageist, obsequious, or manipulative.

Likewise, some Americans think it's polite to call women hon or honey, but others think it's sexist.

So in the same vein, words like buddy can be meant to be friendly but won't always be taken well. Others words used the same way in the US when talking to men include sport, man, chief, dude, bro, and guy. Other words for women include sugar, darling, and sweetie.

If you travel here, don't be offended if you hear them, but don't use them yourself. It's better just to skip those friendly tags when you talk with strangers.