“Dude.”

If you have a teenager, you have heard this word a thousand times in the last month.  It can mean almost anything.

It can be a noun: One girl to another one, “Dude at the red car.”  (Translation: “Look at that good-looking guy next to the red car!”)

It can be a filler word:  A guy walks out into the Walmart parking lot and can’t find where he’s parked.  Guy: says, “Dude, where’s my car?”  (Translation: “Where is my car?”)  Keep in mind there’s not another dude within earshot.

It can mean “no”, as in the following dialogue:  Parent says, “Billy, have you done your homework?”  Billy responds, “Dude.”  (Translation: “No.  Parents are so stupid.”)

And it can also mean “yes”:  Uncle Bob asks, “Billy, I need your pickup tonight; would you mind driving my Corvette?”  (Translation: “Billy, I really need a pickup and you’re my last hope.  If you wreck my Corvette, I’ll kill you.”)  Billy says, “Dude!”  (Translation: “Heck, yeah!  I wonder how fast it’ll go and how many chicks I can pick up before he gets back.”)

It can mean sadness:  Suzy laments, “Billy, I can’t go out with you tonight.  I’m grounded.”  Billy just says, “Dude.”  (Translation: “Bummer.”)

It can also mean happiness:  Billy’s teacher tells him,  “Billy, you made an “A” on your term paper.”  Billy says excitedly, “Dude!”  (Translation: “Unbelievable!”)

It can be used as a greeting:  Billy says, “Dude.”  (Translation: “Hi, Tommy.”)  Tommy responds, “Dude.”  (Translation: “Hi, Billy.”)

If you listen to a conversation between two teenagers, especially between two males, it could go something like this:

“Wassup, Dude.”  (Hi.)

“Dude.”  (Hi back.) 

“Dude!”  (Where’d you get this car?!) 

“Chill dude.”  (I’m getting ready to tell you.)

“Dude, … this dude was swerving to miss this dude on a bicycle and dude, he hit me.  (My car was wrecked.)  So, the insurance dude told me to go to the rent-a-car dude and get another car.”  (This is a loaner.)

“Dude.”  (I’m sorry to hear that.)

“Me and some dudes are going out tonight.”  (“Wanna come?”)

“Dude!”  (That sounds great!) 

“But wassup, dude?” (Where are you going?)

“Dude.”  (Wait ‘til you hear this.)  “Amy, Michelle, Jessica, and Sandy are havin’ people over.” (Amy’s parents are out of town and she’s having a party.)

“Dude!”  (No way!)

“Dude.”  (Yes way!)

“Well, gotta go, dude.” (I’m leaving)

“Chill, Dude.”  (Goodbye.)