My Mission

Robert Sale-Hill’s poem, The True Origin and History of “The Dude” (The New York World, January 14, 1883) introduced the world to the word Dude, and kicked off a full-on Dude craze. A-Dude-a-Day[i] Blog is dedicated to preserving and sharing pics, pieces and poems from the early days of the Dude-craze of 1883. You can read more about the history and origin of the word Dude on my blogpost, "Dudes, Dodos and Fopdoodles" on my other blog, Early Sports 'n' Pop-Culture History Blog.


Thursday, July 30, 2015

Dude #3 - The Gallant of the Period

The Gallant of the Period

A slender young man of remarkable air,
Equipped with a glass and a meaningless stare,
With love for himself and the English imbued,
A singular swell's the all-conquering "dude."

His cash is unbounded - his cheek not much less -
His brain ne'er conceives a thought fit to express;
With actresses easy, to ladies he's rude,
But - a gentleman is the elegant "dude."

He haunts the stage entrance when Anderson plays,
He wears - whispers slander - the tightest of '-stays;"
Drinks Cliquot to banish a troublesome mood,
A man of resource - the experienced "dude."

His beaver bell-crowned, and his Newmarket coat,
His cane, are his treasures - o'er these doth he gloat;
With roses his pathway is certainly strewed,
AS it should be, for think! - he's a genuine "dude!"

        N. Y. Graphic.

Evening Star (Washington DC), March 10, 1883, page 3.

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