dudelet

Etymology

From dude + -let.

Why this word is great

DUDELET — [Noun] An effeminate young man or fashionable young woman who cultivates an exaggerated, often ostentatious personal style. From dude ("a man overly concerned with dress and style") + -let (diminutive suffix), it suggests a figure both self-consciously stylish and youthfully slight. Unlike "dandy" (which evokes the polished austerity of a Beau Brummell) or "fop" (which conjures the powdered, preening aristocrats of the 18th century), "dudelet" carries a whiff of modern affectation—less timeless elegance than fleeting trend. It is the too-tight velvet blazer with embroidered lapels, the artfully tousled hair held in place with scented pomade, the Instagram feed curated to showcase a single, meticulously cultivated aesthetic—the fragile armor of someone who believes, if only for a season, that style can stave off the ordinary.

noun

  1. An effeminate young man who strives to be fashionable; a dandy.“Yes, the bullfrog is a-croaking And the dudelet is a-smoking”
  2. A young boy, especially one who is fashionable or popular.“At first the dudelet, Taking a dash of ginger in his lemonade ; Then the older dude, with his small salary.”
  3. A fashionable young woman.“Dude and Dudelet on the beach, Upon the beach so sandy. The Dude, he wooed ; the Dudelet cooed, And nibbled Maillard's candy.”