OOP:More Brit slang (WAS Rock-solid prediction for Book 6 )

[Kirstini]

No: HPFGUIDX 62518

Scott wrote: How many times did Ron remind him that he was 
his "mate"?


I don't know if Ron was doing that intentionally. "Mate" is just a 
wee British (more English, actually)figure of speech used between 
male friends - it's like tagging "man" onto the end of every 
sentence in American slang. It's a nice idea, though, as none of 
them seemed to say that in GoF, and not just Ron, but the twins and 
Lee wouldn't stop "mate-ing" (not like that) all over the place in 
OoP . JKR could have put it in as a little sub-textual beat, 
couldn't she? Emphasising one of the big themes of OoP - friendship, 
while at the same time just appearing to catch teenage boy-talk.
Kirstini (swiftly losing her grip on literacy)