dope, you

   This is a relatively mild insult, often used between intimates as a kind of endearment. Nathanael West writes, in The Day of the Locust ‘Not knowing what to say, he accented his awkwardness, playing the inoffensive fool. She smiled and became almost friendly. “Give out, you big dope.”’ It is used mildly between men in The Late Risers, by Bernard Wolfe. The word carries a strong intimation of stupidity, but it causes less offence than an expression like ‘you stupid fool’. See also Dopey.