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dido

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Dido, ɗiɗo, and DIDO

English

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Etymology 1

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Unknown. The "trick" sense might come from the trick of Dido, queen of Carthage, who, having bought as much land as a hide would cover, is said to have cut it into thin strips long enough to enclose a spot for a citadel.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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dido (plural didos or didoes)

  1. (slang, regional) A fuss, a row.
    • 1928, Eugene O'Neill, Strange Interlude, Act Four, page 139:
      … she always had strong physical attraction for me … that time I kissed her … one reason I’ve steered clear since … take no chances on emotional didos
    • 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 30:
      I remember Raymond telling me years later how when he lived at home, if his mother heard he had been seen as much as talking to a girl, she would kick up a dido.
  2. A shrewd trick; an antic; a caper.
    • 1838, Joseph Clay Neal, Charcoal Sketches; Or, Scenes in a Metropolis, page 201:
      Young people," interposed a passing official, "if you keep a cutting didoes, I must talk to you both like a Dutch uncle.
    • 1969, Maya Angelou, chapter 10, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings[1], New York: Bantam, published 1971, page 55:
      Our youngest uncle, Billy, was not old enough to join in their didoes. One of their more flamboyant escapades has become a proud family legend.

Etymology 2

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Adverb

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dido (not comparable)

  1. (US) Misspelling of ditto.

Anagrams

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Aragonese

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Etymology

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From Latin digitus (finger).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈdido/
  • Rhymes: -ido
  • Syllabification: di‧do

Noun

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dido m (plural didos)

  1. finger
  2. toe

References

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Esperanto

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ˈdido]
  • Rhymes: -ido
  • Hyphenation: di‧do

Noun

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dido (accusative singular didon, plural didoj, accusative plural didojn)

  1. dodo (bird)

Latin

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From dis- +‎ (to give).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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dīdō (present infinitive dīdere, perfect active dīdidī, supine dīditum); third conjugation

  1. to give out, spread abroad, disseminate, distribute, scatter

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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References

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  • dido”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • dido”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • dido in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • dido”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • dido”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray