Trivia
HardBefore Surfer Culture Adopted The Word “Dude” It Referred To What?

Answer: Well Dressed Men
Ask a modern American-English speaker to pin down where “dude” originated from and they’ll likely guess late 20th-century California surfer culture. Not a bad guess, but a solid century too late.
The word first entered the American-English lexicon in the 1870s and referred to men that dressed very fashionably (with a secondary use to refer to well-dressed urban men who were visiting rural areas and stuck out, what we would now call “city slickers”). In fact, if you’ve ever heard the term “dude ranch” used to refer to a fancier ranch intended for tourists or a hobby ranch owned by a wealthier person, you’re seeing the word in its original use: a dude ranch is a place for well-dressed “city slickers” to go play cowboy.
That usage stuck until the early 1960s when the word was adopted by surfer culture. There, the term dude became synonymous with “guy”—and there was in fact a female version, “dudette”, in use—but by the 1970s, dude become unisex in usage.
Now when someone yells, “That dude is trying to break into your apartment!” they most certainly do not mean, “That very well-dressed gentleman”—although it’s always possible you’re about to be burgled by a man sporting a pocket square and an ascot.
Trivia
HardWhich Pop Artist’s Stage Name Is The Result Of An Auto Correct Typo?
Trivia
HardOne Of The Hills Of Rome Is Composed Almost Entirely Of What?
Trivia
HardWhich Cartoon Character Has A Huge Cult Following In Germany?
Trivia
Very HardWhat Iconic Award Was Almost Named The “Ike” Award?
Trivia
HardAstroturf Derives Its Name From?
Trivia
HardWhich Color Name Was Introduced To The English Language Via Plant?
Trivia
HardTamagotchis, The Fad “Pocket Pet” Toy That Swept The Late 1990s, Was Created By What Company?
Trivia
HardThe Largest Earthworms In The World Are Found In?
Trivia
HardThe Worst Computer Security Breach In U.S. Military History Was The Result Of?