Mate, mate, mate!

[hedge2staxy]

No: HPFGUIDX 70633

Was it just me or did the guys in OotP really latch onto this term 
and use it to death?  It seemed strange because I don't recall them 
calling each other 'mate' before Book 5.  At first, I thought, oh 
how endearing, a more mature way for the guys to refer to one 
another, but then it seemed to be everywhere and I found it 
distracting and grating.  Phew, sorry just had to get that out of my 
system.  

-hedgehog who will try to never criticize JKR's writing again but 
had to do it just this once