"Canadians help me out." Topic

I have a question for my neighbors to the North. What is the common used term for a friend in Canada?

British use "Mate"
Americans use "Buddy"
Australians use "Bloke"

Or all use terms along those lines.

Is there a unique Canadian term for a male friend?

Thanks in advance.

I don't think there's a typical Canadian term, at least not in Montreal/Quebec.

I hear "buddy" often.

But every province is different, maybe there is such a word elsewhere in Canada.

I'll ask my buddy.

"Eh?"

Pals, friends, buddies, "The Gang", chums…

Nothing specific comes to mind.

Hoser?

You aren't British I take it?

'mate' does not necessarily denote a friend, and if anyone calls you 'pal' – particularly up in Jockland – get ready to fight or run.

Hoser?

I saw Strange Brew and that's what I thought also.

D~

Bloke is not the same as buddy or mate.

its the same as saying "that guy over there", as in "that bloke over there", I don't think you wouldn't say "that buddy over there", but I could be wrong.

Australians use mate, as in "g'day mate" as I imagine Americans would say "hey buddy," or "Hey Pal"

Bloke just means a generic male, the same way sheila means a generic female, but you would never refer to someone you know individually as a such. But a woman could refer to a man, as having a night out with the blokes, but the man would never use that term. He would say he is going to have a night out with his mates. It works the other way as well. A man could say his wife is having a night out with the sheilas, but a woman would be having a night out with the girls.

Language fascinates me. I didn't realise it was so complicated until I try explaining it. It interesting that in recent years, the word sheila has become less common, though bloke is still in common usage.

Living in Ontario I heard buddy used most often. Although,I don't think there is a distinctly Canadian name for friend. Not the way we are recognized for using eh at the end of every sentence.

You aren't British I take it?

'mate' does not necessarily denote a friend, and if anyone calls you 'pal' – particularly up in Jockland – get ready to fight or run.

It depends on how it's being used. If someone calls you directly "mate" or "pal", it might, as Connard Sage suggests, be time for the old fisticuffs. . Iit really depends on intonation, though – I've had plenty of drunks call me "pal" when asking for 20p for the bus (yeah, right).

Third-person useage is more likely to be referring to friends, although no-one oustide of Enid Blyton books calls people their "pals" (especially as it ended up with an obscene acronym at my primary school!)

Friend?

In the east, "Buddy" is (or can be) a sort of generalized other of forgotten or unknown name as in "Buddy had dinner with the captain and spent the night as the guest of Her Majesty" or "I saw the crash. Buddy just plowed through the red light" or "Hey buddy can you spare change for a coffee?"

Such usages are very regional in this country.

"I saw Strange Brew"

Bob and Doug do more of an Ottawa Valley thing.

"night out with the blokes"

Night out with the guys, here. And a guy would say it.

Don't let anyone tell you it's "la crosse".
-Kle.

I think it very much depends on who your talking with and where their families are from originally. Where I live,my crowd just called them friends or buddies. I hear the teens at the school where I work refer to their friends as their posse or their band. I don't think that is in general usage though. There is such a mixture of ethnic backgrounds here in British Columbia, that anything is possible.

Cheers.
GeorgeD

Night out with the guys, here. And a guy would say it.

At my far eastern end, it would be "a night out wit da b'ys"

I don't think you wouldn't say "that buddy over there",

We actually do use "buddy" as "guy" or "missus" for female as in "that missus over there". Again, peculiar to Newfoundland & Labrador, I think.
--
Tim

I'm in late on this, but "buddy / buddies" would be the standard Ontario term. Can't think of anything else that fits. For under 25's, there may be some generic rap term like "posse". "Night out with my buddies / Night out with the guys / boys." "Night out with the girls" if they were women.

Eastern Canada slang – espec. Newfie – would be totally different, as would the accent.

The specific use of "buddy" stated by Lentulus would not be used in urban South Central Ontario, unless the speaker and his friends were first or second generation from the farm or a small town.