Mates rates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mates Rates is a colloquialism used to refer to special prices, discounts or savings offered to a mate and is more commonly used in Australia and New Zealand.
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[edit] Origin
The origin of the word is unclear, however it is commonly related to the colloquial use of mate and the concept of mateship, popularised in World War I by Australian and New Zealand soldiers, whose memory and special bond is celebrated in the ANZAC legend. Mate is considered to be a contracted form of mutual aid which supports the common definition of providing special rates or subsidised pricing to mates. Whether this is the word's actual origin is unknown.
[edit] History
As with many colloquialisms, it is uncertain whether the media followed culture or vice versa. The earliest media appearance of mates rates appears to be on November 17, 1986, when the Brisbane edition of the Telegraph newspaper published an article that included:
"The Premier..had travelled to Japan to raise a loan from Japanese financiers at ‘mates' rates."
In addition to newsprint publication mates rates made its first appearance in widely respected English dictionaries in 1997, when it was published in The Macquarie Dictionary (3rd Edition) and The Dictionary of New Zealand English, edited by H. Orsman, signalling acceptance of the word into every day language. Earlier Dictionary publication, whilst possible, is unknown.
The word has also appeared in subsequent dictionaries including:
- The Australian Oxford Dictionary (2nd Edition, 2004)
- The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary (4th Edition, 2004)
[edit] Usage
Mates Rates is commonly used in informal situations between individuals and has also been more formally adopted across a wide range of industries as a marketing term implying prices that are below ordinary retail price.
