How many times does the word "dude" appear in The Big Lebowski?

The answer is: 161

The magic number is 161. That's one "dude" every 43.6 seconds in this 117-minute bowling adventure. The weird part? The Dude himself isn't even the main "dude" sayer.

That honor belongs to John Goodman's Walter Sobchak, who uses it for basically everything. Need to tell your best friend he's making a terrible decision? "Dude." Want to explain why pulling a gun at the bowling alley was totally reasonable? "Dude!" Think your buddy needs to shut up about his rug? "Dude."

The word pops up everywhere, but some scenes are practically "dude" mosh pits. Take any confrontation between Walter and The Dude - they use the word like a verbal tennis ball, bouncing it back and forth with increasing intensity until someone finally gives up or pulls out a bowling trophy.

Some fans have actually mapped out when these "dudes" appear. They spike whenever something goes wrong, which in "The Big Lebowski" is about every five minutes. Whether it's mistaken identity, stolen ransom money, or just trying to figure out which Lebowski they're talking about, "dude" is there to help make sense of it all. Or at least try to.

The Coen Brothers didn't plan this "dude" bombardment. They just wrote how these characters would naturally talk, and it turns out people dealing with nihilists, severed toes, and stolen rugs say "dude" a lot. The usage drops off during The Dude's trippy bowling dream sequences, probably because it's hard to say "dude" when you're floating through a cosmic bowling alley.

Fans have turned the 161 "dudes" into a drinking game, which might explain why some people think they hear more "dudes" than actually exist. Though after 161 drinks, you might start to understand The Dude's conspiracy theories about who really stole his rug.

And if you were keeping track, you'll find it 20 times on this page!