DUDEISM

dude (n.)

1883, "fastidious man," New York City slang of unknown origin; recent research suggests it is a shortening of Yankee Doodle, based on the song's notion of "foppish, over-fastidious male" (compare macaroni). The vogue word of 1883, originally used in reference to the devotees of the "aesthetic" craze, later applied to city slickers, especially Easterners vacationing in the West (as in dude ranch "ranch which entertains guests and tourists for pay," attested by 1921). "The term has no antecedent record, and is prob. merely one of the spontaneous products of popular slang" [Century Dictionary].

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]

Application to any male is recorded by 1966, U.S., originally in African-American vernacular.

dudeism (n.)

1883, "the dress, manners, and social peculiarities of the class known as dudes" [Century Dictionary], from dude + -ism.

The dude possesses in his outward appearance and bearing all the attributes of a gentleman, excepting, perhaps, that of manliness. His dress is unostentatious in its perfection, its only loud notes being a pair of white gaiters, which are believed to be going out already in obedience to the unwritten code of dudeism. Why the dude feels any interest in life is not clear--he does not look as if he enjoyed it. There is a certain introspective earnestness in his bearing that reminds one of the theological student, and perhaps the prevailing high collar strengthens the resemblance. [Phrenological Journal, July 1883]

A way out West there was this fella,

fella I want to tell you about,

fella by the nameof Jeff Lebowski,

at least thatwas the handle

That his loving parentsgave him.

But he never hadmuch use for it himself.

This Lebowski,he called himself The Dude.

Now, Dude - that's a name no-one would self-apply where I come from.

But then, there wasa lot about The Dude that didn't make a wholelot of sense to me, and a lot aboutwhere he lived, likewise.

But then again,maybe that's why I found theplace so dern interesting.

They call Los AngelesThe City of Angels.

I didn't find it to be that, exactly.

But I'll allow thereare some nice folks there.

'Course I can'tsay I seen London;

And I neverbeen to France;

And I ain't never seen noqueen in her damned undies as the fella says.

But I'll tell you what, after seeing Los Angeles

And this a-here storyI'm about to unfold,

Well, I guess I seen somethin'

every bit as stupefyin' as you'd see in anyof those other places, 

and in English, too.

So I can die with a smile on my face without feeling likethe good Lord gypped me.

Now this here story I'm about to unfold took place backin the early nineties, just about the time ofour conflict with Saddam

and the Iraqis.

I only mention it 'cause Sometimes 

There's a Man.

I won't say a Hero,

'Cause what's a Hero?

But sometimes there's a Man,

and I'm talkin' about The Dude here,

Sometimes There's a Man, he's The Man for His Time and Place.

He fits right in there, and that's The Dude, in Los Angeles.

And even if he is a lazy man — 

and The Dude was most certainly that.... quite possibly the laziest in Los Angeles county, which would place him high in the running for laziest worldwide —

But Sometimes - There's a Man, 

Sometimes...

There's a Man.

Wow, lost my Train of Thought, Here.

I done introduced him enough.