That is the beauty of language. The terms "dude" and "guy" are no longer gender specific. Boundaries were broken and that's a good thing. But people still complain that they are gendered and sexist language casually imbedded in our speech. It's not.
There are people who work 2 jobs and can't afford an apartment. There are cancer patients that pay hundreds of thousands in medical bills. There are people drinking contaminated water. And yet, dumb mother fuckers ate complaining about "manholes", "guy" being used as a new identifier and whether the Joker causes mass shootings? Really? Really?
People have dumb fucking priorities.
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It has become universal. No gender attached to it. Check out this video. It relates to your question but about the word "Guys"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D0zEFsWKGBw
Well I would argue YES to be honest... I use the word dude to both my male and female friends... my best friend (she's female) usually use the word "dude" as a sort of greeting... its just something we have been doing since we were young.
However some people may argue that for girls , one should use the word "dudette" but I dont know... it doesn't have a good ring to it like "dude" has. But in about mid 1970s dude started being popularly used as a unisex term for both males and females and I know many people can attest to that being true even in the 21st century.
Although 'dudette' is the female version of dude, it's rarely ever mentioned. Dude sounds better anyway. I use dude on anyone just like I'd use 'bro' or 'buddy' & I don't mind if those are used on me.
I use the term to refer to anyone and anything, regardless of gender, or sentience, or lack thereof.
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I'll just keep using it only in a male context for my own convenience. Otherwise my username becomes a bit weirder for me.
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No.
Dude = a male of equal station in life
Dudette = a female of equal station in life I agree. "Dude" has become so universal as to lack any meaning at all
I've always used 'dude' to refer to literally anyone I'm casually speaking with, including my guy friends, girl friends, and boyfriends. It's always been just the same as calling a group of people "guys" regardless of their gender to me.
at my school it's gender nonspecific. though usually we use other less flattering terms in the limited time we have together now that i think about it.
It CAN be a gender neutral term.
If I say, "I saw a dude walking a German Shepard today" then dude refers to a male.
If I say, "Dude, I just surfed a gnarly wave", then dude is gender neutral.Gender neutral sound weird as hell. Unisex ig I don't know. But anyways i call everyone dude regardless of what they are
It is now. It sort of bugs me but we used to say you guys when we were talking about other girls or women so it's basically the same.
It kinda is and isn't. I call girls "dude" sometimes, but it's more done in a teasing way like "dude, what are you doing?" to punctuate the fact I'm being facetious. In "polite" conversation I wouldn't refer to girls as dudes. The closest term I can think of that can be more gender neutral is "mate", which I guess is like the UK equivalent of how a Californian might use "dude".
I used to share this opinion. But I had this exact conversation a couple years ago with a person and they changed my mind.
Lets pretend you're talking to a transgender woman and you call her dude. You might be using it in an endearing gender neutral way, but that doesn't mean that's how it will be interpreted. You were just trying to use a term of endearment, but ultimately you ended up destroying their day.There are many terms like this which start out gender specific but shift to being more neutral. Sometimes it happens the other way. Dude for me is still male specific. But 'guys' seems to have become inclusive of women. I've even found myself thinking it in situations where all or most references are female.
Talking about extending usage to inanimate objects, I've seen 'lads' used like this in the works of Robert Rankin. I think it's an Irish tendency.Yes, I agree. I view "bro" and "man" to be non gender specific as well, depending on how it's used.
Dude is a referential term which may be used to direct your attention to an individual be they sentient or otherwise... So in a word, yes.
Its evolved into that, yes, depending on where and who you are speaking to. I personally do not use it that way though.
I call everyone dude. Not all the girls appreciate it tho. Around my parts it is a more masculine word
I call girls dude if I'm friends with them. And vice versa. Same for guys.
Bruh, everyone is dude! 😂
Tho, some may get the wrong idea 😶Dude has been a term used for both men and women. Just like "guys" has been for both as well.
it definitely is,,, i call all my friends dude bruh pal or buddy
It can be now a days for sure but a dudeutte was a term used back in the day
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