Javaqueen got me thinking about the word “Dude” today. She was trying to type the word “Good night” and typed “Dood night” instead, which got me to thinking about the word “Dude”. I know, it doesn’t take much for my mind to go off on a tangent.
Here is some info about the word “Dude” from Wikipedia.
The term dude is an American English slang word generally used informally to address a male individual. The word was once used primarily by adults but has become a common slang term used in various age groups. The female equivalent, less often used, is “dudette”. However the term dude has evolved to become a more unisex term to encompass all genders, and was even true in the 1950’s during the word’s older definitions.
Evander Berry Wall, a New York socialite, was dubbed “King of the Dudes.” He is pictured in the New York American at the time of the “battle of the Dudes” in 1888.
King of the Dudes
A journalist of the New York American, Blakely Hall, made Wall famous, proclaiming him in 1888 “King of the Dudes” for having won the “Battle of the Dudes” against Robert “Bob” Hilliard, another sartorial dude when, during the blizzard of 1888, he strode into a bar clad in gleaming boots of patent leather that went to his hips. Nevertheless, some historians still consider it was Hilliard who won that boots battle.
Wall won another contest in Saratoga against John “Bet a Million” Gates, for having changed clothes 40 times between breakfast and dinner, appearing on the race track “in one flashy ensemble after the other until, exhausted but victorious he at last entered the ballroom of the United States Hotel in faultless evening attire”
So I guess to be a dude in the 1880’s you had to dress like the above gentleman.
Now it seems that a lot of “dudes” look like this:
Which do you prefer? I think I almost prefer the first “Dude”.
My son calls me “Dude” sometimes and I always end up laughing. It sounds so funny to me to have some guy call his mom “Dude”. I think even Sarah has used the word when she has talked to me. I have had many of their friends say “Dude” to me too. I think it’s cool that they feel so comfortable with me that they can say ” Dude, Ma, that’s awesome”.
Most of their friends call me “Ma” or “Dude Ma”. Thank goodness, I don’t have to wear patent leather boots to my hips or change 40 times between breakfast and dinner to be cool.
This whole “Dude” thing got me thinking about a certain song.
In honor of “All The Young Dudes” I leave you with one of my favorite videos of one of my favorite singers:
DAVID BOWIE
Do you or your kids use the word “Dude”?
Whatever I think 
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