Linguist Deciphers Uses of Word 'Dude'

[Champ]

By MIKE CRISSEY, Associated Press Writer

PITTSBURGH — Dude, you've got to read this. A linguist from the University of Pittsburgh has published a scholarly paper deconstructing and deciphering the word "dude," contending it is much more than a catchall for lazy, inarticulate surfers, skaters, slackers and teenagers.

An admitted dude-user during his college years, Scott Kiesling said the four-letter word has many uses: in greetings ("What's up, dude?"); as an exclamation ("Whoa, Dude!"); commiseration ("Dude, I'm so sorry."); to one-up someone ("That's so lame, dude."); as well as agreement, surprise and disgust ("Dude.").

Kiesling says in the fall edition of American Speech that the word derives its power from something he calls cool solidarity — an effortless kinship that's not too intimate.

Cool solidarity is especially important to young men who are under social pressure to be close with other young men, but not enough to be suspected as gay.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=816&ncid=816&e=2&u=/ap/20041208/ap_on_re_us/read_this

[LynzM]

1. I am, admittedly, a 'dude' user

WAY too much, LOL. I must be in the minority, though, because the article says that women are less likely to use it than men. I use it with pretty much anyone my own age who I have a friendly relationship with, or on message boards fairly indiscriminately. Interesting that someone actually analyzed this...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

2. I use it too...

And I either do that or I end up calling everyone Sweetie, Kid, or Baby.
Duckie

[notadmblnd]

4. My 11 year old is heavy into the use of the word

Dude, you got to see this.. check this out dude... ahhh dude. I called him on it the other day. I said I'm not a dude, I'm your mother. His reply, ok mom, but dude you really gotta check this out!

there's no stopping it I guess?

[rock]

3. Now in all the examples given,

substitute the word "Guy". No real difference. Then what's all this hubbub about "Dude", Bub? It's just a buzz word.

[htuttle]

5. Let me explain something to you.

I am not Mr. Lebowski. You're Mr. Lebowski. I'm the Dude. So, that's what you call me. You know, that, or his dudeness, or duder, or el duderino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing.