A Catalogue of Useless Facts

"Dude"

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"Dude"
- etymology / history -

​​The etymology of the word "dude" is disputed. Its origins have been variously suggested as a Scottish word for clothing ("duddies"), a reference to the bizarrely-outfitted song character Yankee Doodle, or even a cognate of the pejorative term "dodo".

Popular usage of "dude" is generally agreed to begin in the mid- to late-1800s, where it was used to refer to a man who dressed expensively and fashionably (similar to a "dandy").

In the Old West of the United States, "dude" also came to mean an inexperienced city dweller (similar to "city slicker" or "greenhorn"). In this context, it is the origin of "dude ranch", a Western-style ranch that caters mainly to East Coast tourists.

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Sources ▼

https://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=dude
https://blog.oup.com/2012/02/dude-word-origin/