tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19747344.post4776996451873442980..comments2023-09-29T04:37:34.125-07:00Comments on Linda Without Borders: Literary Supplement: Dude, where's my human hive?lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01550290075640463707noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19747344.post-75479487149860434212007-02-22T20:05:00.000-07:002007-02-22T20:05:00.000-07:00Yes, "dude" is a fine, fine word to use when doing...Yes, "dude" is a fine, fine word to use when doing impressions. I just think it's so fascinating that those of us born during an apparent approximately ten-year period (1970-1980?) really grew up with the word not being a reference to anyone in particular. Much like, as you point out, "man." Many many people say "Man, that sucks!" or whatever and NO ONE hears them as speaking to some specific man. Did that come out of the 60s? That lasted. Why did our 80s dude revolution not have such long-lasting effects?lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550290075640463707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19747344.post-29245329758596287402007-02-22T11:12:00.000-07:002007-02-22T11:12:00.000-07:00In my vernacular, "dude" is the amalgamation of th...In my vernacular, "dude" is the amalgamation of the two uses you have outlined: the first being the widely-accepted term for a male, and the second being the exclamation. When speaking to a fellow male, or group of males, I can often be found starting my sentences with "Dude...," even if it's not entirely necessary. It's just one of those quasi-noun/exclamations like "man" ("Hey man...") that are accepted into conversations as second nature. At the same time, I do not use the word when addressing a female. However, I rarely, if ever, use "dudes" in lieu of "guys" or "fellows" or "punks," anything along those lines, as a noun in the middle of a sentence. Along with most of my friends who also use the word, I have not crossed into using it solely as an exclamation - there is always someone who is the direct target of the "dude." I would agree though, that there is evidence of people who do use it solely as an exclamation, such as your foray into that territory when your female friend asked you to refrain from addressing her as a "dude," which is, of course, not what you intended. All in all, it's a word I actually like to use; I choose to use it over other ones like it as it rolls off of the tongue easily and is fun and harmless to say. Plus it is very amusing to use when doing impressions or caricatures of people who would use the term a lot. Lastly, Mr. Capote was right on the money with his use of the word, as you said, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition: a man extremely fastidious in dress and manner.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05135945142600335011noreply@blogger.com