Buddy这个字已经有一百五十多年的历史,很可能性是来自brother这个字。专指那些和你亲如兄弟的朋友, 或者说“哥们”。一个越战老兵难以忘怀他的战争经历,他说:
"What sticks most in my mind is all the good buddies I saw killed there. I'll remember their faces as long as I live, because they were like brothers to me." 这位退伍军人说:“在我脑子里印象最深的是那些我亲眼看到被杀害的好朋友。我这一辈子也忘不了他们的脸,因为他们就像是我的亲兄弟一样。”
Buddy这个词多用于男性之间,但不是绝对的。下面这个例子就是一个男生在说他一位好朋友: "Sally and I don't have any romantic interest in each other. We're just good buddies who come from the same town and enjoy having a cup of coffee and talking about people we both know." 他说:“我和沙莉(女)都没有谈情说爱的意思。我们是同乡,也是好朋友。我们喜欢在一起喝杯咖啡,谈谈大家认识的人而已。”