Usually used by a man greeting another man the Aussie terminology 'Mate' <br />A term colonial man brought from England that now seems out of date <br />Often used in greeting strangers a term of greeting nothing more <br />An Aussie antiquated word that lives on born of another shore <br />The one an Aussie greets as mate may not be his mate at all <br />Just a stranger in passing a face he may never more recall <br />The difference between the words of mate and mateship in real terms can be great <br />The former a word that can be used as a hello the latter to friendship does relate <br />Down Under the word mate a cultural thing from colonial times that does remain <br />Old habits die hard and old ways some do like to retain <br />A word that can have many meanings often used as a hello <br />On greeting somebody that you do not even know <br />Good Day to you Mate as the Aussie does say <br />Though weatherwise it may not even be a nice day.<br /><br />Francis Duggan<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-word-mate/
