"dudo", 1840, meaning ???

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:41 PM -0500 6/23/11, Cohen, Gerald Leonard wrote:
>Not at all likely to be "dude."  My guess is it's a misprint for
>"duds" (clothes),
>and this was the term used by the women when the police or reporter showed up.
>---- G. Cohen
>

--a particularly impressive word, showing up in 15th and 16th c.
slang compendia and having remained as a slang word ever since.
Can't think of any rival to its status for slangevity.

LH

>_____________________________
>
>From: Original message from George Thompson, Thu 6/23/2011 12:27 PM:
>
>      *Mayhem*. -- On Friday evening three black wenches residing at 40
>Wooster st. . . . , got into a wrangle about some *dudo* claimed as the
>common property of the trio.    ***
>      Morning Courier & New-York Enquirer, June 8, 1840, p. 2, col. 3
>
>My notes don't make it explicit that the "dudo" (which was italicized) was a
>person, specifically a man, but presumably so.
>Can this be connected with the word "dude", not recorded until about 40
>years later?
>GAT
>George A. Thompson
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org