Applied Dudism

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Lately I have been noticing the widespread use of the word dude to be a general form of address, and even of approval.

Wiki article

However, in my generation, the application was as outlines in the last couple of paragraphs of the article.  When I was in high-school the term dude was semantically negative if not pejorative.  It was generally applied to other students whose deportment showed they thought of themselves as above the mob.  These fancy dressers or those who "put on airs", were not well thought off in general.

There is also a meaning quite similar to the Yukon term cheechako meaning tenderfoot, or one who is inexpererienced in the current mores of the social environment.

I have never liked this term and hate to be called "dude" because of my upbringing.  Of course that was more than two score and ten ago, or two generations past.

Anyway,  the general gist of this article is to approach transformations in terms that have changed.  Here are just a few more to get discussion and contribution going:

Word	Then	Now
gay	happy, glad	homosexual
ho	low voiced laugh	lady of the evening

[PhilsCafe 8]

That's interesting. I think every language develops some kind of youth language which within a generation transforms into everyday language. My native language is Swiss German and I noticed that words I use in my everyday language may sound offensive to my parents or grandparents. But also when I hear younger people talking I realize that they're using words in a context I've never heard before...

For me dude has always been a familiar term for guy. But it looks like even girls call themselves dude nowadays (at least in the movie "Juno" they did), which is kind of strange...

[Easy Bakes 253]

Dude?

Link dont work.

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

English is certainly a self-corrupting language, often due to regional accents and dialects. 

A 'dude ranch' used to be a place where a city slicker (or tenderfoot!) would go to feel like a cowboy. It was perjorative 'back in the day'. 

An even older term for 'dude' would be 'dandy', where we get Yankee Doodle Dandy from... it was an insulting term used by the British for wealthier colonists that dressed well. I have seen an old cartoon where someone was mockingly referred to as being 'dressed up like a dude'. I think it was an old Tom & Jerry or similar, maybe early '50s.

[Meg 368]

I have found the current use of the word "dude" to be very handy.  Depending on the tone of voice, it can mean anything from "Awesome!  Good job!"  to "Knock it off, you bleepity-bleep". 

 

For instance, I was at a football game and the guy behind me was pushing me forward because he wanted to pound on the back of my seat.  (This would be the seat that I paid for.)   Rather than get confrontive with a drunk, I just gave him a reproachful, somewhat-WTH-ish "Dude!" and he totally backed off.

 

I'm still at a loss for actual English words that would have accomplished that as effectively.

 

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

I'm still at a loss for actual English words that would have accomplished that as effectively.

 quote>

Does the f word count? It's arguably the most versatile word in the English language. You can use it in any context as many different parts of speech to mean pretty much anything if you don't mind being profane.

Also "dude" is in the dictionary:

n. a man excessively concerned with his clothes, grooming, and manners.

So it is an "actual English word", although its definition does not match its colloquial usage.

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Duke87

 

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

I'm still at a loss for actual English words that would have accomplished that as effectively.

 quote>

Does the f word count? It's arguably the most versatile word in the English language. You can use it in any context as many different parts of speech to mean pretty much anything if you don't mind being profane. quote>

 

No, it doesn't count.   Being profane can reduce the effectiveness of the message in many cases.   Many people simply disregard a message that contains profanity.

 

Had I told the drunk to f off, odds are good he would have felt either offended or confronted and would have reacted accordingly.   When I dude-d him, he was a bit taken aback but didn't pursue the matter.   Which was my goal.

 

[coolotter88 2]

I disagree, you can't say a language "self-corrupts", that's too conservative of a view. Languages continually evolve, otherwise, we'd still be speaking English like Shakespeare.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: coolotter88 Languages continually evolve, otherwise, we'd still be speaking like cavemen.quote>

Fixed.

[Livin in Sim 83]

Hi, NOB,

Good to see your post, quite funny.  Were you looking for other words that had changed meaning, somewhat humorously?

Word	Then	Now
tight	constricting	well known, well thought of, cool
sick	ill	awesome
ripped	torn, drunk, vb. farted	muscular
boo	scary or derisive exclamation	significant other, loved one
threads	strands of fibers	clothing, forum sections
ride	travel on a conveyance	car or object used to travel
wicked	extremely evil	very
sup	eat an evening meal	form of greeting

Sorry, I had some time on my hands. 

Bye for now.

--Liv

[s.i.X 13]

I bellyfeel oldspeak doubleplusgood.

?

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Livin in Sim

Hi, NOB,

Good to see your post, quite funny.  Were you looking for other words that had changed meaning, somewhat humorously?  quote>

 

Good list!    (and, yes, I think that was what he was looking for)

 

I found myself thinking more of new words that were derived from combining existing words.

For instance, when I was a kid, the new word was "humongous".   I remember my sister and I explaining to our dad that it was indeed an actual word.   Now, it's in the dictionary which says it is "perhaps alteration of huge + monstrous" 

Now, the word seems to be ginormous which actually isn't new but has only recently come into common usage. 

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

Dudes, you might remember this

ad...

LOL even the music is made up of the word!

[simsmart 1]

Originally posted by: s.i.X I bellyfeel oldspeak doubleplusgood.quote>

I love that book!

For a book report on 1984 I tried to write the whole thing in oldspeak, couldn't be done.

Anyways, looking at LivingInSim's post: One thing I noticed was that depending on who you talk to, some people may interpert your use of the word differently. Mind you, the same goes for old english vs. new english.

[hamsterTK 93]

Bill: Dude, your mom is hot

Ted: Shut up dude

Bill: Remember when we were freshman and she was a senior?

Ted: Dude! Shut up!

[Livin in Sim 83]

Originally posted by: manticorefan Dudes, you might remember this

ad...

LOL even the music is made up of the word!quote>

  It's all about the expression, tone and inflection, huh?

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Now, the word seems to be ginormous which actually isn't new but has only recently come into common usage. quote>

Actually in the dictionary: Celebutante: a fashionable celebrity; retronym: a new term created from an existing word; unibrow: forehead hair in need of tweezing.  Not in there yet:  aquadextrous:  the ability to turn of the bathtub faucet with your toes; Fro-yo: frozen yogurt; meanderthal: someone weaving about in front of you.

Originally posted by: simsmart

Anyways, looking at LivingInSim's post: One thing I noticed was that depending on who you talk to, some people may interpert your use of the word differently. Mind you, the same goes for old english vs. new english.quote>

Too true, depending on whether they're Brits, Canadian, etc.  Would love to hear of the differences.

Bye for now.

--Liv

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

And what's wrong with speaking like Shakespeare?

Then I might be able to understand him without the footnotes...

[Duke87 1,070]

Like, how has no one mentioned the "like" phenomenon yet?

[s.i.X 13]

Everything is, like, a simile.

[Patricius Maximus 236]

Ah, I'm glad we're having a discussion about the evolution of the English language.

The "like" phonomenon? I never use it in that context myself. In my experience, it is not common, but not uncommon either.

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

Being a teenage girl, I use like way too much, but I used it correctly in my earlier post.

It's very useful though for saying the words said, thought, about, or approximately, or a variety of other meanings.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

fixed and tested link

---

If it becomes unfixed again, just wiki for Dude.  Note use of new word, wiki.  Anyone not understand this?

The other day I watched an episode of CSI Miami which made liberal use of the word cyberlebrity to indicate a person who was (in)famous on the Internet.

The evolution of the Queen's English is a fascinating topic an it please you.  I think the whole thing is just doubleplus good.

[s.i.X 13]

What about the evolution of all the other Englishes? You know the aristocracy in Britain preferred French, and left English to the peasants. That's why English has so many French words in it, even though it's a Germanic language.

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

Originally posted by: N_O_Body

The other day I watched an episode of CSI Miami which made liberal use of the word cyberlebrity to indicate a person who was (in)famous on the Internet.

quote>

Jerry Bruckheimer influences our language now, too? Just another exhibit in the Museum Of American Societal Decay.

[astronelson 339]

Originally posted by: coolotter88 I disagree, you can't say a language "self-corrupts", that's too conservative of a view. Languages continually evolve, otherwise, we'd still be speaking English like Shakespeare.quote>

Or worse, Chaucer. Shakespeare was quite the wordsmith, coining umpteen words and phrases, many of which we would find indispensible today, such as "accommodation" and "all's well that ends well".

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

An interesting word passed my way today.

dock - vt.  To cut off as in "Dock a dog's tail"; To moor a vessel in a dock.

dock - n. An area of water beside a pier in which a vessel may be tied up.

Homonyms are interesting, what?

[Duke87 1,070]

Dock is a funny sounding word.

dock dock dock dock dock....

...mouse running up clock optional.