Another kind of buddy

[Benjamin Barrett]

Arnold M. Zwicky wrote:
> On Jun 12, 2007, at 2:03 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>
>> An acquaintance of mine who was working on a home loan used the
>> vocative
>> "buddy" on me a few times here in Seattle. He's 27, but I'm not
>> sure if
>> he's from the area.
>>
>
> vocative "buddy" is a very different animal from 3rd-person-reference
> "buddy", in my experience.
>
I'm sure this is a very deep subject because of all the uses, but the
vocative used of buddy is not common in Seattle, though there may be
groups that use it. The intonation used led me to believe it was being
used no differently than third person usage.

In any case, it may indicate a development along the lines below that I
cited. BB

Scot LaFaive wrote:
> This reminds of something that has been stuck in my melon for a while. I've
> noticed that quite a few males that I know in their mid to late 20's and up
> seem to refer to their other male friends as "buddies," not "friends." I've
> resisted this "buddy" designation and continue to call my friends "friends,"
> but I find it curious that "buddy" has been chosen by these people. This is
> in middle Wisconsin; do others hear this elsewhere?
>

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