dude 的詞源

1883年，「挑剔的人」，紐約市俚語，起源不明；最近的研究表明，它是Yankee Doodle的縮寫，基於該歌曲對「花俏、過於挑剔男性」的概念（比較macaroni）。1883年的流行詞，最初用於指「美學」狂熱的信奉者，後來應用於城市花花公子，尤其是東部人員在西部度假時（如dude ranch「收費招待客人和遊客的牧場」，1921年證實）。「該詞沒有前身記錄，可能僅僅是流行俚語的自發產物之一」[世紀詞典]。

Now, "tenderfoot" is not to be construed as the Western equivalent of that much evolved and more abused specimen of mankind, familiarly styled "dude." For even the Montana cowboy recognizes the latter. Not that he has ever seen the true prototype of a class that was erstwhile so numerous among us. But he is convinced that a person caught in the act of wearing a white linen collar, and who looks as though he might have recently shaved or washed his face, must be a dude, true and proper. ["Random Notes and Observations of a Trip through the Great Northwest," The Medical Record, Oct. 20, 1883]

現在，「tenderfoot」不應被解釋為西部對於那種已經演變並被濫用的人類標本的等價詞，通俗地稱為「dude」。因為即使是蒙大拿州的牛仔也能識別後者。並不是說他曾經見過那類曾經在我們中間如此眾多的人的真正原型。但他相信，一個被發現穿著白色亞麻襯衫領子的人，看起來像是最近剃過鬍子或洗過臉的人，一定是真正的dude。[「隨筆與觀察：穿越大西北的旅行」，《醫療紀錄》，1883年10月20日]

對任何男性的應用記錄於1966年，美國，最初在非裔美國人口音中。

DUDE: This does not mean "tenderfoot," as it once did. It now is used to refer positively to somebody. "Charlie's a nice dude." Occasionally it's used as a neutral noun, so you can call someone a "strange dude." [Mike Jahn, "Are You Hip?" Louisville, Ky. Courier-Journal, July 11, 1971]

DUDE：這不再意味著「tenderfoot」，如以前那樣。現在用來正面指代某人。「查理是一個好dude。」偶爾用作中性名詞，所以你可以稱某人為「奇怪的dude。」[邁克·詹，《你時髦嗎？》，肯塔基州路易維爾《信使-日報》，1971年7月11日]