Dude, Merry Snowman!

So I was catching up on my news and investigatory research and found this informative article about the use of the word "dude."

First of all, turns out that a professor actually got paid to do research on the use of the word "dude" in everyday language. Second of all, according to the study, "Men report that they use dude with women with whom they are close friends, but not with women with whom they are intimate."

Read: If he calls you 'dude' then you're just friends.

Lastly, I learned a little bit of history regarding the word:

Historically, dude originally meant "old rags" -- a "dudesman" was a scarecrow. In the late 1800s, a "dude" was akin to a "dandy," a meticulously dressed man, especially out West. It became "cool" in the 1930s and 1940s, according to Kiesling. Dude began its rise in the teenage lexicon with the 1981 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

In other news, apparently Northbrook residents are celebrating the North Pole this Winter Solstice. Polar Bears and snowmen are the mascots and Santa and Hannakuh Harry are apparently on vacation (I hear that Belize is the new "unusual but exotic" hotspot this season).