The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers
you don't abandon a mate
attitude: some people can think like this about some other people (see more)
Many people in Australia think like this:
I think about some people like this: This person is my mate.
I know: If something bad happens to one of these people, I have to do something good for this person because of this.
If I don't do this, people will think something bad about me.
Note
This attitude also captures the cameraderie also found amongst Australians who don't necessarily know each other, in that moment, all ``people like me`` are mates and therefore not to be abandoned."We stuck together,' Nancy says flatly. 'We were mates. If one of us had something, we'd share it."
"He’s me mate. I gotta help ’im,’ he stated simply and incontrovertibly."
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