What does 'Dude' mean... Can it be used on a formal note...?

Answer 1

Dude, you've go 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.
In other words: Close, dude, but not that close.
"It's like man or buddy, there is often this male-male addressed term that says, 'I'm your friend but not much more than your friend,"' said Kiesling, whose research focuses on language and masculinity.
To decode the word's meaning, Kiesling listened to conversations with fraternity members he taped in 1993. He also had undergraduate students in sociolinguistics classes in 2001 and 2002 write down the first 20 times they heard "dude" and who said it during a three-day period.
He found the word taps into nonconformity and a new American image of leisurely success.
Anecdotally, men were the predominant users of the word, but women sometimes call each other dudes.
Less frequently, men will call women dudes and vice versa. But that comes with some rules, according to self-reporting from students in a 2002 language and gender class included in the paper.
"Men report that they use dude with women with whom they are close friends, but not with women with whom they are intimate," according to the study.
His students also reported that they were least likely to use the word with parents, bosses and professors.
Historically, dude originally meant "old rags" -- a "dudesman" was a scarecrow. In the late 1800s, a "dude" was akin to a "dandy," a meticulously dressed man, especially out West. It became "cool" in the 1930s and 1940s, according to Kiesling. Dude began its rise in the teenage lexicon with the 1981 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High
"Dude" also shows no signs of disappearing as more and more of our culture becomes youth-centered, said Mary Bucholtz, an associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
"I have seen middle-aged men using 'dude' with each other," she said
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I hope this was helpful

Answer 2

Dude

Traditionally a dude (pronounced /d(j)uːd/) is a vole; a man who dresses flashily. But in recent years, the term has taken on a colloquial meaning at variance with that: it now means a male friend, mate, comrade, or associate. It can also be used as an informal form of address when the speaker does not know the name of the person that he or she is speaking to. A dudette or a Dudie is a female friend, comrade, or associate, although increasingly, "dude" is being used as a gender-neutral address. Formerly, the word was associated with Western movies. The new usage entered the mainstream from California surfer slang from at least 1968, referenced in the movie Easy Rider, and today is strongly associated with Generation X.

Scott F. Kiesling, a linguist from the University of Pittsburgh, states in a 2003 scholarly paper published in American Speech that "the term is used mainly in situations in which a speaker takes a stance of solidarity or camaraderie, but crucially in a nonchalant, not-too-enthusiastic manner ... The reason young men use this term is precisely that dude indexes this stance of cool solidarity. Such a stance is especially valuable for young men as they navigate cultural discourses of young masculinity, which simultaneously demand masculine solidarity, strict heterosexuality, and non-conformity."

In the 1960s and 1970s, the term "dude" was a popular part of black slang (not to be confused with Ebonics) that was used by both males and females in referring to a male or males. The term was used in some black "ghetto" or "street" novels of that era. "Dude" was frequently used by black characters in 1970s TV shows, which included "Good Times" and "Sanford and Son." In many 1970s black films, the term was often used; for example, in the film "Blacula," the title character was referred to as "the big dude."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dude...

Answer 3

Dreams are your mind's way of trying to process information when your active mind is not in the way. It probably doesn't mean anything in a precognitive kind of way, just that you are working things out.
If you like him, just try to strike up a conversation. Guys LOVE to talk about themselves, so find out what he likes, and ask him about that, what it is, what it's like, what he likes about it, etc. You can tell a lot about a person by what they do with their time. A guy who is into hunting and fishing may just be exactly what you're looking for, or might just be the kind of person an animal lover would never want to be around.

Answer 4

NO, it's not formal but it's not rude, it like saying "amego" or "bro" or "mate" but it's not formal
it doesn't necasarily have a meaning
let us try
www.dictionary.com

Informal. An Easterner or city person who vacations on a ranch in the West.
Informal. A man who is very fancy or sharp in dress and demeanor.
Slang.
A man; a fellow.
dudes Persons of either sex.

haha, would you look at that, it does have a meaning

Answer 5

Dude can be used for addressing a male ... and no it cant be used in a formal note.because it is a informal way of adressing a guy.

Answer 6

It's very rarely used on a formal note.

Answer 7

Its not a formal word so dont used it when you need to write a formal note. Use "sir" or if you know the person, Mr. (Last Name)

Answer 8

Dude is a guy.....but not used formally

Answer 9

don't use on a formal note unless you are quoting someone. dude means man or guy

Answer 10

Dude means guy, but it is not formal.