Informal word for men or guys; people or friends.
Originally from 'dude,' which appeared in American English in the 1880s, possibly from German 'duden' or relating to Dutch clothing. May come from horses (a 'dude ranch' horse), or simply be invented slang.
Dude started as a way to make fun of fancy-dressed city people (dudes in Western movies), but became so cool that it flipped to mean anyone you like!
Originally neutral slang ('dude' = fellow), but culturally male-coded; many cultures use it to address groups presumed masculine by default.
Use 'folks,' 'people,' or 'everyone' to avoid assumed gender in group address.
["folks","people","everyone","friends","crew"]
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