A homie is a close friend, one of your own people. The word comes from American informal speech, and you can hear home in it: it's what people call a friend from their group or their neighbourhood. When talking about friends, people say me and my homies, and to a friend directly, thanks, homie. The tone is warm and familiar.
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my homie; me and my homies; homie as a friendly address (thanks, homie)
- Me and my homies are watching the match at Jake's place tonight, wanna come?
- Thanks for helping me move the sofa, homie, I owe you a pizza.
- He's been my homie since school, and we still talk every week.
What changed
First versionI'm a real homie, I'd rather stay in and watch films than go to parties.
RevisionI'm a real homebody, I'd rather stay in and watch films than go to parties.
Homie looks like home, so it may seem to mean a home-loving person. But a homie is always a friend, so I'm a real homie means “I'm a true friend”. The word for someone who prefers staying in is homebody: a person who'd rather spend the evening at home than at a party.
Homie sounds very familiar, so it's only for friends. You don't say it to a colleague, a teacher or a stranger: instead of Thanks, homie, a simple Thanks a lot is enough. The word doesn't belong in an essay, and in IELTS Speaking, people talk about a friend neutrally: I'm meeting a close friend of mine this weekend.
Your turn
I've known Max since we were six, and he's still my oldest ___.
Show the answer
homie — It's about a friend you've known since you were six, so he's your homie, your oldest mate. A homebody is someone who likes staying in, and my oldest homebody says nothing about friendship.
Write a message inviting a friend to spend the weekend with your group. Use homie or homies, and name the place and the day.
Me and the homies are going to the bowling alley on Saturday, you coming?
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