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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Slang Term “Dude” For Another Male Come From and What Does the Word Mean?

Where Did the Slang Term “Dude” For Another Male Come From and What Does the Word Mean?

June 18, 2020 by Karen Hill

The word dude originated as a Victorian slang word for a man who was effeminate.

It’s a variation of dud or duds, from the Arabic word “dudde”, which means cloak, and was a reference to fancy or foppish clothes.

When vain, fashion-conscious city slickers wanted a taste of the West, they went to a Dude Ranch.

The term dude was kept alive by California surfers and took on its current fellowship meaning from a generation weaned on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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