dude 的词源

1883年，“挑剔的人”，纽约市俚语，起源不明；近期研究表明它是对Yankee Doodle的缩短，基于歌曲中“花哨、过于挑剔的男性”的概念（比较macaroni）。1883年的流行词，最初用于指“审美”狂热的追随者，后来应用于城市花花公子，尤其是东部人在西部度假的人（如dude ranch“为客人和游客收费娱乐的牧场”，1921年证明）。“这个词没有前例记录，很可能只是大众俚语的自发产物”[世纪词典]。

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]

现在，“tenderfoot”不能被解读为西部风格的、经过很多演变和更被滥用的人类标本，通俗地称为“dude”。因为即使是蒙大拿州的牛仔也能认出后者。并不是说他曾见过曾经在我们中间如此众多的一个阶层的真实原型。但他确信，一个被发现穿着白色亚麻领子，并且看起来最近刚剃过胡子或洗过脸的人，一定是一个真正的dude。[《穿越大西北的随机笔记和观察》，《医学记录》，1883年10月20日]

对任何男性的应用在1966年录得，美国，最初在非裔美国人英语中。

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：这并不意味着“tenderfoot”，就像它曾经那样。现在用来积极指代某人。“查理是个不错的dude。”偶尔也用作中性名词，所以你可以称某人为“奇怪的dude。”[迈克·扬，《你时尚吗？》，肯塔基州路易斯维尔《日报》，1971年7月11日]