[bdude]

I started working at a supermarket and old men have been calling me cobber, anyone on MTAU know what this means? I don't know if I should take it as an insult or compliment?

[decryption]

First result in Google:

"Australian colloquialism meaning "mate" or "friend", but not necessarily in the literal term. Can be used to address a stranger in leiu of "Hey, you there!" or "Hey, kid!" in a more friendly manner. As the word's been used since the earliest Colonial settlements of Australia, many Aussies mistakenly believe the word is archaic and no-longer used. In actuality, it's simply slightly less understood then more generic forms of greeting (such as "mate")."

[Domenic]

Australian colloquialism meaning "mate" or "friend", but not necessarily in the literal term. Can be used to address a stranger in leiu of "Hey, you there!" or "Hey, kid!" in a more friendly manner. As the word's been used since the earliest Colonial settlements of Australia, many Aussies mistakenly believe the word is archaic and no-longer used. In actuality, it's simply slightly less understood then more generic forms of greeting (such as "mate").

From The Urban Dictionary.



EDIT: Argh! Beaten by decryption!

[bdude]

First result in Google:

Probably should've looked there first :S

[half goon half god]

Not knowing what cobber means? How un-Australian of you! I'm ringing ACA and TT up right now. You're so deported.

[Nexus]

Originally Posted by half goon half god

Not knowing what cobber means? How un-Australian of you! I'm ringing ACA and TT up right now. You're so deported.

ACA wana-be.

EDIT: Oh wait, you mentioned them. Shouldn't have been so quick to jump to this.

Oh well, I'm off to have a sausage sizzle in front of TT.

[mitty]

cobber is a bit of a Tassie thing I think, I grew up there and My Dad used to call his mates "cobber".

[Cods]

Cobber's OK, although I usually heard it out field, usually prefacing "...any chance you can spare a smoke?"

The one I had no idea about was the prevalence of "old mate" in the speech of blokes from central QLD.
"Old mate" = "some random bloke (usually, but not necessarily) whose identity is unimportant or unknown".

Usage:
"Yeah, so I was driving along, and pulled over to a stationary car. Old mate in the car rolls down his window and says..."

Always makes me feel like I'm meant to know who this bloke is!

[macsyd]

I still hear cobber every now and again.

Cobbers are a great lolly too! Chocolate coated caramel. Yummo.

[bdude]

cobber is a bit of a Tassie thing I think, I grew up there and My Dad used to call his mates "cobber".

I thought as much, I'd never heard anyone in NSW say it when I used to live there.

[halledise]

Originally Posted by bdude

I thought as much, I'd never heard anyone in NSW say it when I used to live there.

depends if you're a bloke or a sheila

blokes call blokes cobber - yet if you're a sheila take it as a huge compliment if it's coming from an old digger

(then again - he could just be making a pass and fancy your … )

[Granny Mac]

Nah! not just tassie, but old school. My dad used to say it all the time, and it was common in his generation. I think it was a bit of a country thing as well. Just generally means mate. eg "got a light, cobber"

[bakeraus]

I thought Cobber! originated from around the war time. I knew it was a mate or friend but not sure where it came from.

[cosmichobo]

How you goin' cobber. Haven't seen ya for ears and ears, but I still nose ya.

[Lutze]

I'm a bit surprised that this was posted by an Australian.... I had the gist of it from TV shows from Australia that I watched as a kid (I'm pretty sure the term was used by Paul Hogan (can I hear groans?) in those films.

[will]

cobber is good, I hear a lot of "old mate" referring to a person who one does not know ie "old mate over there"

[andrew.wilson]

One worse than cobber is 'bloke' -oi bloke!

I have to admit to using 'old mate' far too much...

[Cods]

Originally Posted by will

cobber is good, I hear a lot of "old mate" referring to a person who one does not know ie "old mate over there"

Don't tell me it's spread to the North Coast!

[TheKeddi]

It's like lots of sayings though, different states and times,

Cobber is an old one for diggers etc,

Stobie poles are SA for power poles,

Fritz is SA for Devon.

Loads of sayings differ from state to state.

[Cods]

Originally Posted by TheKeddi

Fritz is SA for Devon.

On the North Coast of NSW for lots of people, Fritz = Devon = Byron or Byron Sausage.

Great resource on regional usage here at the ABC's website. I think the Macquarie Dictionary supports it.
Lots of it is user initiated, and then moderated.