derring-do
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Derring — Der ring, a. Daring or warlike. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Drad for his derring doe and bloody deed. Spenser. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
derring-do — n. brave and heroic deeds. [WordNet 1.5] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
derring-do — If a person shows derring do, they show great courage … The small dictionary of idiomes
derring-do — originally (late 14c.) dorrying don, lit. daring to do, from durring daring, prp. of M.E. durren to dare (see DARE (Cf. dare)) + don, inf. of to do. Misspelled derrynge do 1500s and mistaken for a noun by Spenser, who took it to mean manhood and… … Etymology dictionary
derring-do — ► NOUN dated or humorous ▪ action displaying heroic courage. ORIGIN from a 16th century misprint and misinterpretation of the Middle English phrase dorryng do «daring to do» … English terms dictionary
derring-do — [der′iŋ do͞o′] n. [ME derrynge do, durring don, lit., daring to do; misunderstood as abstract n. by Spenser and thence popularized by Scott ( Ivanhoe)] daring action; reckless courage … English World dictionary
derring-do — [16] Derring do arose from a misunderstanding of the Middle English phrase dorring do, which literally meant ‘daring to do’ (dorren was the Middle English form of dare). In some 16th century editions of medieval authors this was misprinted as… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
derring-do — [16] Derring do arose from a misunderstanding of the Middle English phrase dorring do, which literally meant ‘daring to do’ (dorren was the Middle English form of dare). In some 16th century editions of medieval authors this was misprinted as… … Word origins
derring do — der|ring do «DEHR ihng DOO», noun, or derring do, daring deeds; heroic daring: »But where in the older picaresque tradition the adventures are feats of physical derring do, here they are adventures of the spirit (Wall Street Journal). ╂[Middle… … Useful english dictionary
derring-do — noun Etymology: Middle English dorring don daring to do, from dorring (gerund of dorren to dare) + don to do Date: 1579 daring action ; daring < deeds of derring do > … New Collegiate Dictionary
