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I would like to know if addressing an American with the word 'buddy' would be considered offensive. If the answer is yes, would it be considered offensive by an American irrespective of the context and tone or would that matter?

Heartspring
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The Jester
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5 Answers5

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That's going to depend on tone of voice.

Hey, buddy, get off my car!

This usage is condescending; especially when you don't know the person. Expect it to be replied with "I'm not your buddy, pal!".

Hey, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuddy.
— Pauly Shore

This usage is friendly, though people will probably question your intelligence.

I went to the lake with a buddy of mine and we fished for a while.

This usage is colloquial and would not offend anyone.

Ian MacDonald
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In formal settings, calling someone “buddy” can be interpreted as condescending and disrespectful as it assumes a familiarity that doesn’t exist. Normally the person calling someone buddy is more senior to the person being called buddy. If an obvious difference in age or social standing doesn’t exist, it can be interpreted as the person calling the other person buddy as unjustly claiming higher standing which will indirectly convey disrespect.

Mark Erb
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  • I think that happened between a pizzeria owner and myself in LA. He called me buddy so I said it back and he didn't seem to like it. As a tourist, how should I greet someone when entering a shop (for example)? Is "hey buddy how's it going?" appropriate? What if it's a lady? – Kenny83 May 10 '22 at 06:49
  • In this respect buddy is in the same category as pal, mate, or even friend: none of them is intrinsically offensive, but they imply familiarity and equality of social status, and can therefore be offensive when such familiarity does not fit the social norms, or such equality does not exist. – jsw29 Oct 31 '23 at 17:26
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Hailnames are extremely fraught. There is some good discussion at Is there a word for colloquial forms of address? -- in short, there are none that cannot be misunderstood. The exact situational use, tone, and social details affect their interpretation deeply, and in ways users often are not consciously aware.

As a colloquial word for friend, as in "My buddies came over to play some board games", it is not offensive. Strictly speaking, it can apply broadly, but it is almost always used to indicate friends who are men, and who one is not romantically involved with.

Mike Graham
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If you're in a big box store, say, you might say to a guy who works there, Hey buddy, do you know which aisle the mops are in?

You could say to a guy on a train platform, a fellow commuter, Hey buddy, do you know if the next train is the express or the local?

But you probably wouldn't walk up to a policeman and say Hey buddy, do you know if there's a coffee shop in this neighborhood? since the policeman might expect to be addressed as "officer". It might be OK, might not.

If you're in a county courthouse and a guy comes out a door into the hallway, and he is dressed in black robes, you wouldn't say Hey buddy, do you know where courtroom B6 is?

TimR
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As someone from the United States, I often hear the term buddy used by people being disrespectful or conveying a type of friendly way to be rude. It sounds confusing but I feel that buddy is only acceptable if it is a father-son relationship and the child is still young. Example: Father says to his 6 year old “Hey bud (buddy), how about some ice cream”?. It is also only acceptable in a formal conversation when referring to a friend who is not currently present in the conversation and the person you are talking to doesn’t know who they are. Example: Talking to a coworker: “Yeah, me and a buddy of mine fish there all the time, great spot I can definitely recommend it”! Mostly every other instance, calling someone buddy is a quick way to make them feel disrespected.

Wade Terwilliger
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