When I went to college in Texas, I was told that “y’all” could be used for a singular person or plural, but “all y’all” was always plural.
A few items for thought:
[list][li]dude entered English in the late 19th century (borrowed from German) as a masculine term, was used for mixed-gender groups by the 1980s at the latest, and is an emerging gender-neutral term.[/li][*]guy entered English in 1806 explicitly referring to effigies of Guy Fawkes, but had become generalized to living males by 1836, used for mixed-gender groups in the second-person plural pronoun (written as two words, but acting as a single compound word) ‘you guys’ by around WWII, has been used as a gender-neutral term in the plural since probably the 1970s, and the singular is emerging as a gender-neutral./list
The use of Dude became popular with Mike Meyers doing his Wayne’s World skit for SNL in the 90s. He had one skit when he used the word Dude as the response for a variety of situations based on your tone and inflection.
Threads that veer off topic…like this one has.
3 pages of dudes, guys and all y’all!!! Wow!
“It’s aliiive!”
I’d argue that it was popular long before the 90s Mike Meyer skit. What made the skit funny was the fact that people already did use it for so many contexts (kind of like George Carlin’s skit on the f word). It was already “a thing” to be made fun of.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/dude-transcends/309528/
In my best Linda Richmond (Mike Meyers “Coffee Talk” character) voice “You guys, Oy vey!”
OK, let’s get back to making fun of people. That’s always pleasant. 
Speaking of vernacular, when using or requesting a restaurant restroom, do you ask for the bathroom, restroom, facilities, mens room, boys room, ladies room, little girls room, the loo, the head (ok not on a boat…) Do you use the generic or the sex specific term?
Yup, gotta love the meandering threads…
I still use the “potty.”
In many countries you have to say toilet! I just can’t bring myself to! The ladies’.
My dad used to say “the toidy”.
I say, “Excuse me, do you guys know where the women’s room is?” >:)
Is that like asking “dude-where does one make a dude?” :-"
Well, I don’t put it past some people.
I love the sound of “water closet.” It’s so quaint!
Personally, I love thread drift in non-serious threads like this one, and I’m annoyed by complaints about it.
So there! 
The drift in this thread is a hindrance to those of us, and there are many, who need to vent about the absurdities of life that are expressed by many here on CC. It offers a release so that we can continue to function!!! Offering advice regarding first world problems can be stressful. It is something that some guys don’t comprehend.
Love sarcasm! Oh wait, we are supposed to be annoyed.