The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-05-08
THE DUDE.


out of place to give some facts about
it. The word is pronounced doo-dy
and the dude is the successor of the
''masher" and is similar to the latter
character in many respects. One of
the New York papers has said in
speaking of him:
"The word has not reached the die
tionaries, and all of the characterize
tons of the dude which have APP
peared in the newspapers have been
disputed by somebody or another.
Everyone thinks he has seen q dude,
but when the dude of one is compared
with the dude of another there is
such wide difference that doubt is
raised as to whether the dude has yet
really been identified
He is defined by some of the lead
ing journals as follows:
A dude is full-grOwn lah de-dah.
Cincinnati Commercial.
A dude cannot be recognized by
his conversation, for he has none.-
Express.
The dude wears overwhelmingly
tight pants, stretches plated walcn
chain across its stomach, and is Il
breathing illustration of the fact that
an object can live without brains
Times.
His trousers are very tight; his
shirt collar, which must be clerical in
cut, encircles his neck SO as to suggest
that sudden motion of the head in
any direction will cause pain. He
parts his hair in the middle and bangs
it-New York Evening Post.
He Is young, thin, pale, otter
Ratchet faced, almost always narrow
chested and small-limbed. In his
mouth the cigarette finds permanent
home, as do the lilies of the valley in
his buttonhole. He may be seen in
quantities in Delmonico's cafe, and he
Is study.-New York Truth.
"He was narrow chested, and his
legs were lank and wavering. On
his head was bell-crowned English
beaver, with a mourning band two
inches wide, and around his neck he
wore a collar Of preposterous height.
A drab colored coat, such as English
men wear when riding to "meet"
was buttOned closely about his far
from robust figure. The garment
was SO short that the ends of his
spike-tailed coat fell far below it, pro-
ducing a weird and eeric effect. HIS
trousers were SO tight that the uneven
contour of his legs inspired pity, and
his feet were squeezed into long and
narrow shoes. Over his breast dang
led single glass, and he wore Eng
lish dog-skin gloves, the color of ripe
brick dust. lie held silver-tippcd
cane under his arm, and stood with
) one foot far in. advance Of the other.
His hat was tipped back OH his head,
/. his hair brushed forward at the sides,
and he displayed evidence of vapid
moustache. But the most noticeable
thing about him was the expression
of his face. lie meant to appear
. naughty. Instead he looked insolent.
He was dude. New York Sun.
The ~dude" is attracting consider
t able attention in our northern ex-
p changes, not because he is newly
discovered species, but because he has
been given new name. The dude
u is the successor Of the "masher.' A
{: subdivision of the same animal, per.
haps innoXious and capable of no de-
velopment. Good clothes, thin legs
and an empty skull are the essential
!, characteristics.-Nashville World.
Miss Kate Field was interviewed
o by the New York Journal and thus
gave her opinion of dudes.
Holding up her hand in gesture
Of utter depreciation, she exclaimed
. The dude is my horror-a creature
, who fills me with disgust. Of all the
social excresceuces inflicted upon that
!. peculiar American bulb called so.
ciety,' l deem him the most useless
l., kind of fungus. Has lie one redeem.
ing point! If he has, pray tell me. fol
l can not find it. He has no individ.
uality, no manhood, no quality, even
!. of the most incipient order, and all
|, that | can see that he is good for is t.
nurse his cane and flattcn his nose al
q club window.
And yet the dude seems to thrive in
New York.
So much the worse for New YOrk's
common sense. Now in England the
British dude is usually a helpless
kind Of young man upon whom the
: accident of birth has fallen. His par
q ents have money, and there Is a
raison d'etre for his existence. Here
IL there is, or should be, none. | can
: scarcely suppose, for the credit of my
O nationality, that he is an outgrowtll
u of our republican system-for If he is,
A it is a strong argument against re.
= publics.
n Have You any proposition for the
/. extinction of the dude2
q DO you know ] think we might
> borrow useful hint from the Chin
Soc hotHou VI OSciVouliHS tnt ulHl'
: Guilty. There, | am told, when the
y population Of given constituency is
4 larger than convenience warrants. il
y is customary for State officials to 90
around every morning, gather up the
female babies, put them in a bag,
II and lay them carefully away where
d they'll never trouble anybody. Now,
If the dudes were treated in similar
fashion. they would soon pass out OF
'e existence, and the world would heal
b, no more Of them. Really, in the in
|, terests of the great majority, / thinl
II the plan has its merits.
" Could you not draw me the picture
{, of the dude?
= Take strip Of something that, fol-
,e the sake Inconvenience, we will cal
# a man--which, by the way, is gros
= libel on man. Around its neck plac,
u a tight collar, enshrouded with a hid
70 eous scarf and breast-pin. Put upoi
Y it silk hat and cut-away coat
I Clothe its lower extremities will
' pants wherein calves were ncveI