Don't call me, dude. I hate this word, I always take it as an insult. The worst is when women use it.I met this cute woman playing basketball a few weeks ago. We had some things in common, our eyes kept meeting, conversation came easily + it seemed like there was mutual interest. It was that exciting initial spark of possibility which happens less + less often as we get older. We stayed in touch online to set up another game or some other meeting the next week. Then it happened; she called me 'dude'.Ladies if you want to push a guy away + make it clear that you are not attracted to him just use this simple 4 letter word + he should get the message.It was so disheartening. It feels like standing too close to someone + then they slowly, politely push you away. "I like you, but not like that."Ultimately, it's not a big deal, but I have only met 3 women this year where I felt the electricity of 'maybe?' and those few little sparks didn't manage to ignite any kind of fire. Oh well, the search continues...   

noted with thanks. but i myself often call men dude without wanting to push them away tho....

Thanks, that's good to know. But would you call a guy you were attracted to "dude"?

When I told my friend about it he didn't think "dude" was a good sign, either.

yes, i did.

I can't even stand it when guys call other guys "dude".............to me, it shows no respect from the user :-(

Wow - I can't specifically ever remember being called "dude" by a woman.... but I definitely wouldn't have read so much into it!

Is it a Canadian/American thing? Honestly, unless I am really insensitive to an implied meaning here, it wouldn't have made me think they were setting up a boundary of some sort.

"Hey how ya doing 'fella'?" coming from a woman. Is it as bad as calling a guy "dude"? No, I would not call my potential date "dude". It feels like I'm insulting him and it's not really feminine.

I also hate being called Dude. Lots of the younger generation here in the UK use it and it sounds even worse when spoken with an English accent.

Thanks for all of your comments. I didn't realize this would be such a hot topic.

I think the perception of this word does depend on where you're from. Also the Coen Bros. didn't help with The Big Lebowski which has a small yet fanatic following.