The term dude is an American-English slang word generally used informally to address a male individual, though it does have uses as a gender-neutral pronoun as described below. The word was once used primarily by young adults but has become a common slang term used in various age groups. The female equivalent, though rarely used, is dudette.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the Male sex. ...

Dude is, under certain circumstances, gender-neutral. Mostly used by young men it has also evolved to be used by female members of the society.^[1] "Dude" may also be used alone in a sentence denoting a feeling of surprise, happiness, disappointment, amazement or other emotions.^[2] The word might also be used practically anywhere in a sentence in order to convey such sentiments in conversation. The cadence, volume and length of the word is also used to denote the feeling, such as a clipped "dude" for irritation, or a long "duuude" for amusement, surprise, or wonder. For other uses, see Emotion (disambiguation). ...

Other, older definitions of dude exist; a particularly well-dressed male or one who is unfamiliar with life outside a large city. These definitions may go hand-in-hand, hence the phrased definition "An Easterner in the West" (United States).^[3]

One of the earliest books to use the word was The Home and Farm Manual, written by Jonathan Periam in 1883. In that work, Periam used the term dude several times to denote an ill-bred and ignorant, but ostentatious, man from the city.

Origins and common usage

Dude Ranch

Originally "dude" meant a city person in the country, with strong connotations of ignorance of rural ways. The word as used in contemporary culture, typically American, may have had its origins in the Irish ^[4], and indeed, dúd in modern Irish is a derogatory term for a foolish person ^[5].

One example of this use is "Dude Ranches", ranches built in the western states of America for "Dudes", or city folk to experience "cowboy life". "Dude" was also used in the 1860s-1870s by cowboys to describe a newcomer to the West. Tombstone Sherriff John Slaughter was thought to be a "dude" when he first arrived in Tombstone. In the Howard Hawks film "Rio Bravo" from 1959 one of the actors (Dean Martin) is called "Dude". Dude ranch redirects here. ... Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA, founded in 1879 in what was then the Arizona Territory. ... Sheriff is both a political and a legal office held under English common law, Scots law or American common law, or the person who holds such office. ... John Horton Slaughter (or Texas John Slaughter), (October 2, 1841-February 16, 1922) was an American lawman, Civil War soldier and gambler. ... Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896 – December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and writer of the classic Hollywood era. ... This article is about the river that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. ... Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti, June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an Italian-American singer, film actor, television personality, and comedian. ...

Dude in popular culture

The term dude became prominent in surfer culture in the early '60s, but it wasn't until the mid-'70s that it started creeping into the mainstream. Some usages in pop culture have contributed to the spread of this word:^{[citation needed]} The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ...

• 1883 - Political cartoon of Chester Alan Arthur pictures the refined, well dressed President, with the caption, "According to your cloth you've cut your coat, O Dude of all the White House residents; We trust that will help you with the vote, When next we go nominating Presidents."
• 1889 - Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome refers to dudes: "It is the town of showy hotels, patronized chiefly by dudes and ballet girls."
• 1889 - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, talks about how commoners in Medieval Britain worshipped nobility and title without question, for the sake only of a meaningless title: "... and the best of English commoners was still content to see his inferiors impudently continuing to hold a number of positions, such as lordships and the throne, to which the grotesque laws of his country did not allow him to aspire; in fact, he was even able to persuade himself that he was proud of it. It seems to show that there isn't anything you can't stand, if you are only born and bred to it. Of course that taint, that reverence for rank and title, had bee in our American blood, too - I know that; but when I left America it had disappeared - at least to all intents and purposes. The remnant of it was restricted to the dudes and dudesses. When a disease has worked its way down to that level, it may fairly be said to be out of the system."
• 1898 - Some Dudes Can Fight, an early silent film in which a Bowery young man starts a fight with another gentleman[2][3]
• 1933 - The Dude Bandit, a western in which Tod 'Ace' Carter Hoot Gibson defeats the evil moneylender Al Burton Hooper Atchley.
• 1959 - Rio Bravo, a western in which a sheriff John Wayne and deputies, including a drunk (named Dude) Dean Martin, defeat the bad guys.
• 1962 - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, western in which Lee Marvin uses the term repeatedly, especially toward Jimmy Stewart.
• 1963 - Glen Anthony is called "The Dude" for the first time while still a young teenager. Has continuously held the title for the last 45 years for an all time record of "Dudeship!"
• 1966 - The Endless Summer, a documentary featuring the bohemian lifestyle of the surfer, including a soundtrack featuring the The Sandals.
• 1969 - Easy Rider, Peter Fonda's character defines 'dude' as "nice guy" and "regular sort of person".
• 1972 - "All the Young Dudes", a hit single performed by Mott the Hoople, written by David Bowie.
• 1973 - Dude, a musical by Galt MacDermot.
• 1978 - Big Wednesday, a film drama depicting the surfer life in the '60s and '70s.
• 1982 - Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a wildly successful teen comedy/drama featuring Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, the quintessential surfer dude. A sarcastic, but warm treatment, this film is largely responsible for the first wave of the mainstreaming of 'dude'.
• 1980s - Dude enters the mainstream via multiple surfer dude spoofs in film. It spreads rapidly with skateboard culture which is a direct descendant of surf culture, but is not restricted by geography. Sometime mid-decade dude crosses the gender barrier. Dude also appears frequently in the popular animated television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• 1985 - Less Than Zero (written by Brett Easton Ellis) is first to use the overused phrase, "No way, dude!", and the first mainstream display of dude having crossed the gender barrier. In a noteworthy scene a young woman tells her mother, "No way, dude."
• 1987 - "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" by Aerosmith tops the charts. The punk western film Dudes is released.
• 1989 - On February 17, 1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, introduced Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as Ted "Theodore" Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esq., two righteous band dudes, bringing dude to an even wider audience. Ted uses the word "dude" 10 times in the first 15 minutes, and doesn't ever let up. The next day on February 18 the first segment of the "Wayne's World" skit aired on Saturday Night Live.
• 1989 - "Hey Dude" airs on Nickelodeon and runs for 3 years. The cast of this teenage sitcom set on a dude ranch included Christine Taylor.
• 1991 - Bryan Adams and his band are credited as the "Dudes of Leisure" on Waking up the Neighbours and all subsequent albums.
• 1990 - Thrash metal band Scatterbrain's single "Don't Call Me Dude" from the album Here Comes Trouble was a Top 20 hit in Australia.
• 1993 - Adam Sandler's comedy album "They're All Gonna Laugh at You" features the track "Buddy", where several characters have a conversation comprised almost entirely of the words, "Buddy", "Homie", and "Dude".
• 1994 - In the TV show Friends, the male characters, Ross, Joey and Chandler, frequently refer to each other as "dude", as a term of endearment and to express shock/surprise.
• 1997 - Dude Ranch , an album fromblink-182
• 1998 - BASEketball, featuring Trey Parker and Matt Stone, as two young men who at one point in the film have an argument where every word is "dude" and the inflection gives meaning.
• 1998 - The Big Lebowski, featuring Jeff Bridges as "The Dude (or His Dudeness, or Duder, or, you know, El Duderino, if the speaker is not into the whole brevity thing)," an aging hippie/beach bum turns "Dude" into a way of life and a philosophy.

Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski)

• 2000 - Dude, Where's My Car?, features Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott, as two young men or "dudes" who lose their car.
• 2001-2003 - The phrase "Dude, you're getting a Dell!" enters mainstream culture in the US thanks to a highly successful ad run by PC maker Dell Inc., featuring the late-teen to early 20's character named Steven, popularly referred to as the Dell Dude.
• 2004 - Hugo "Hurley" Reyes' catchphrase on the TV show Lost is "Dude", over the first 3 seasons he said "dude" nearly 200 times. ^[6]
• 2008 - Bud Light airs a respected ad campaign where the dialogue consists entirely of different inflections of "Dude!" and does not mention the product by name.^[7]

Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This early political cartoon by Ben Franklin was originally written for the French and Indian War, but was later recycled during the Revolutionary War An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip containing a political or social message. ... Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829–November 18, 1886) was an American politician who served as the twenty-first President of the United States. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), published 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K. Jerome of a boating holiday on the Thames between Kingston and Oxford. ... Jerome Klapka Jerome (May 2, 1859 – June 14, 1927) was an English author, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humanist,[2] humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Bowery (disambiguation). ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hoot Gibson (August 6, 1892 - August 23, 1962) was a rodeo champion and a pioneer cowboy film actor, director and producer. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Wayne as Sheriff John T. Chance in the opening scene. ... For other persons named John Wayne, see John Wayne (disambiguation). ... Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti, June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an Italian-American singer, film actor, television personality, and comedian. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a classic Western movie made in 1962, starring James Stewart, John Wayne and Lee Marvin, and directed by John Ford. ... Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924, New York City – August 29, 1987, Tucson, Arizona) was an American film actor. ... Jimmy Stewart, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American film actor beloved for his persona as an average guy who faces adversity and tries to do the right thing, an image which was largely reflected in his own personality. ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surfing movies, creating and defining the genre for many years after its release in 1966. ... The Sandals, also known as The Sandells, were an early, influential surf rock band formed in 1964. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Wyatt, Mary (Toni Basil), Billy and Karen (Karen Black) wandering the streets of a parade filled New Orleans. ... Peter Henry Fonda (born February 23, 1940) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... All the Young Dudes is a song written by David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by Mott the Hoople in 1972. ... Mott the Hoople were a 1970s English rock and roll and glam rock band with strong R&B roots. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Dude is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. ... Galt MacDermot (born December 18, 1928 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian writer of musical theater, best known for the show Hair, which ran for nearly 2000 performances in both London and New York and was later made into a film in 1979. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Big Wednesday was a 1978 coming-of-age movie, directed by John Milius, starring Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt and Gary Busey as California surfers facing life, the Vietnam War, and use of the ever changing surf as a metaphor for the changes in life. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Ridgemont High School redirects here. ... Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) // Penn was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Leo Penn, an actor and director, and Eileen Ryan (née Annucci), an actress. ... The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (known as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Germany and Sweden) is an American animated television series, produced by Fred Wolf Films and Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, Inc. ... This article is about the year. ... Less Than Zero is a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1985. ... Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, American author. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Dude (Looks Like a Lady) is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... The punk subculture is a subculture that is based around punk rock. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989) is an American comedy/science fiction movie in which two slackers travel through time in order to assemble a menagerie of historical figures for their high school history presentation. ... Keanu Charles Reeves (pronounced ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. ... Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure, 1989 Alex Winter (born July 17, 1965) is an actor, director, and film writer, English-born but raised in Montclair, New Jersey, USA. Born in London, England, Alex Winter trained as a dancer as a child, that being the... This article is about the SNL sketch. ... SNL redirects here. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Hey Dude was a television program that was aired in the United States from 1989 to 1991. ... The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. ... Christine Joan Taylor (born July 30, 1971) is an American actress. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... For other persons of the same name, see Brian Adams. ... Waking up the Neighbours is a rock album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bryan Adams released in 1991 (see 1991 in music). ... This article is about the year. ... Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music, one of the extreme metal subgenres that is characterised by high speed riffing and aggression. ... Here Comes Trouble is the first album by thrash metal band Scatterbrain. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, musician, screenwriter, and film producer. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... This article is about the television show. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Singles from Dude Ranch Released: 1996 Released: September 23, 1997 Released: October 7, 1997 Released: February 24, 1998 Released: 1998 Dude Ranch is the second album by Blink-182, released on June 17, 1997 by Cargo Music/MCA. The album contains the songs Dammit and Josie, which helped the group... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... BASEketball is a 1998 David Zucker comedy feature film starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy. ... Randolph Severn Trey Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an Academy Award nominated American animator, screenwriter, film director, voice actor, actor and musician. ... Matthew Richard Matt Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice actor, musician and actor. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Big Lebowski is a 1998 American comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. ... Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... The Big Lebowski is a 1998 American comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Dude, Wheres My Car? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Danny Leiner. ... Christopher Ashton Kutcher (pronounced , rhyming with butcher; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor best known for playing Michael Kelso in the television series That 70s Show. ... Seann William Scott (born October 3, 1976) is an American actor perhaps best known for portraying Steve Stifler in the American Pie series of teen films. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jorge Garcia as Hugo Hurley Reyes Hugo Reyes, better known by his nickname, Hurley, is a character on the television program Lost, an ABC adventure series written and produced by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof. ... Lost is an American drama/adventure television series set in the aftermath of a plane crash on a mysterious tropical island somewhere in the South Pacific. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... Anheuser_Busch (NYSE: BUD), the worlds third largest brewing company in volume after InBev and SABMiller, is based in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. The company brews 35 different beers and malt liquors. ...

External links

Look up dude in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• The Compact Oxford English Dictionary's Definition
• Dude - By Kiesling, Scott F., Published in American Speech, Vol. 79, No. 3, Fall 2004, pp. 281-305
• You've Come a Long Way, Dude: A History, By Richard A. Hill, American Speech, Vol. 69, No. 3 (Autumn, 1994), pp. 321-327
• Dude, Where's My Dude? - Dudelicious Dissection, From Sontag to Spicoli, New York Observer
• Words@random: "dude"

Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987 by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. ...

References

[[es:Dude] Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Merriam-Webster, originally known as the G. & C. Merriam Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, is a United States company that publishes reference books, especially dictionaries that are descendants of Noah Websters An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...