Is the word "DUDE" losing it's gender ?

[CynthiaAnn]

You look in the dictionaries and this word is meant to refer to a male person, or a "city slicker". When I was younger the word was common in "California surfer talk".

Yet today I overhear my 20 somethings and others using this word in a non gendered way, like more of an expression than referring to an actual person. "Like Dude", everyone is a dude, girls, guys, anybody can be a "dude" these days (I rather avoid the word myself).

What's your take, is the word "Dude" loosing it's gender today ? Just curious.

C -

[randim]

I don't think I would call a woman dude.  Dudette, said in the same tone, yes. But I am a teech old to be up on the young folks' lingo.

[Colleen_definitely]

It is pretty commonly used to refer to anyone. 

[CynthiaAnn]

It is pretty commonly used to refer to anyone.

I know that's what I'm hearing. My daughter talking to her girlfriend on the phone calls her "dude" 

[Ryuichi13]

I'm originally from Cleveland, Ohio USA, and we call everyone "dude."  Even groups of people are sometimes referred to as "dudes."

So maybe. [emoji846]

Ryuichi

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Victoria L.]

I've seen the scenario going around online for years asking if a guy would actually refer to his girlfriend/partner/wife as a dude when talking with someone else about them having to slept together and it says all that needs to be said about dude not actually being gender neutral.

[Dena]

Here in the west we use the term Dude Ranch. Dude would be a verb which means inexperienced. On a Dude Ranch you would find people of all ages and all genders.

[Dani]

Yes, when I was much younger, cowboy shows were all the rage on TV and the name Dude was actually an insult  reserved for inept ranch hands.

Today, I have heard some women calling themselves a Dudette. Which I think is cool. 

[Kylo]

Still usually used to refer to men, or when people assume someone's a man online, but sometimes to anyone. And some people make a point of saying it to anyone.

[Anastasia]

I think dude began losing its gender with "Full House" and the girl that called everybody dude. The kids who watched that are aged 25 +, and there will be younger people who watched it in syndication. I tend to think of and use dude as the singular form of "ya'll"

[Haley Conner]

My college friends and I were using it universally since the late 80s.

[Lexxi]

Duuuude I use it all the time for both genders. A lot of people I know do the same thing.