The Osceola times., 1883-03-31
THE DUDE.
A run Description Of the Newly Discover


ed Animal.
Brooklyn Eagle.
A new word has been coined. II is
dude or d-o-o-d. The spelling does not
seem to be distinctly settled yet, but GUS
tom will soon regulate 1t.
Just where the word came from no.
body knows, but II has sprung into popu-
larity within the last two weeks, so that
now everybody is using it. 1t means a
masher and yet 1t means something more
than masher.
For instance, masher may be young
or old, or he may mash by virtue of his
politeness of his accomplishments, Of
his wealth, beauty, eyes, nose or fame !;
he may be man of mature yeais, an
old man, a young man or a boy. In
speaking Of Washers, one is never sure
exactly what sort of a man is meant.
There Is class Of Washers in New York
who will now have definite place in
the language of the town as dudes.
A dude cannot be old; he must be
yeung, and to be properly termed dude
he should be one of a certain class who
affect the Metropolitan theaters. The
dude is from 10 to 2s years of age, wears
trousers of ofextreme tightness, is hollow
chested, effeminate in his ways, apes the
English and distinguishes himselfamong
his fellow men as lover Of actresses.
The badge of his Office is the paper
cigarette, and his bell-crown English
opera hat is his chiefest joy. They are
seen in large numbers at the theaters,
where they form one of the interesting
features of the evening entertainments.
They are offensive because they blow
cigarette smoke in the ladies' faces and
monopoiize the bar between acts.
As q rule they are rich mems sons, and
very proud Of the unlimited cash at
their CT mmand. They call all actresses
by their first names and affect extreme
familiarity with all things pertaining to
the stage but in reality they know very
little personally Of the men and women
of the dramatic profession. Still the dude
always poses as particular iavorite Of
the reigning theatrical celebrity. They
are harmless lot of men in one way,
for they are too shallow-pated and weak
to accomplish any harm, but they are
sometimes offensive.
No dude is real dude who does not
talk 10 fellow dude in loud voice dur
ing the play; also no dude who respects
himself ever takes lady to the theater.
They run in pairs and compare notes be-
tween .he acts.
The most eminent dude in New York
In the son ofa Wall street broker of con-
siderable wealth. This dude Is the pet
apostle Of the order. He has been in
more scrapes with more actresses than
any other man in town, and his name
has been muddled up with halfa dozen
dirty scandals.
Recently he married girl who was
singing here In an English opera troupe,
while his intellect was somewhat mud
died through cigarette smoke or some
thing of that sort, and his father had to
pay the woman some thousands of dol
lars TO get her 10 agree to a separation
It was accomplished after some diff
Cutty dlAO biic icit uiC Ilukiihu okNTu
troupe, went TO England and the last
time / heard of her she bad married a
wealthy barrister in Manchester.
The steamer had scarcely left the dock
when the dude became involved in an
other row which resulted in his father
sending him off to California under the
care of q friendly lawyer for six weeks
trip. The old man would give anything
to have his son show little more dis
cretion in the matter of public scandal,
but he cannot give him advice with
much grace, because the father himself
was in his younger days q wonder of the
most malignant type. So, whenever he
charges his son, the son looks at him and
smiles softly and asks him about the
days Of yore. The word dude is val
liable addition to the slang of the day.