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Expression: Big do



 
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ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
Singular or Plural (shoe/shoes, cake/cakes) | Meaning of already (You’re not leaving us already, are you?)
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Expression: Big do Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:45 am  Expression: Big do
 

Hi

big do - I hear the expression quite often. Sometimes it is used as uncountable, more often – as countable (a big do), but, frankly, I’ve never heard it in plural. Smile

I already know that a wedding or (preparing to) a big Christmas party is definitely that. A big do.
We’re going to have a big do.

Yesterday I’ve taken part in a big do.
Hmm…
I still have some doubts, whether the expression refers to the event itself or to preparations to it or to people – to a large company of people enjoying the merriment.

Or to all of that, at once? Smile

Could you give some comments about the 'right' use and understanding of this (informal) expression?

Tamara
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Do Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:08 pm  Do
 

Hi Tamara,

Yes, you're on exactly the right lines - it is a big event like a party, a wedding, a celebration and refers to the event itself. Another slang expression is a bash, which is the same sort of event. A bit of a do is another example meaning the same but is an example of understatement, a characteristic of English. It tends to be used in the singular. In fact there was a tv comedy series a few years back starring David Jason, called A bit of a Do and this was followed by Fair Do's - an expression meaning: Yes, that's all right.

Another point is that the expression (a big do) is also used in this sense: There's no need to make a big do of/out of it! -meaning there's no need to make such a fuss if someone is exaggerating the result of an accident or something being broken.

What would we do without do?

Alan
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A bit of a do Fri Aug 18, 2006 13:05 pm  A bit of a do
 

Hi Alan

Thank you for the validation Smile
and for the
Quote:
... is also used in this sense: There's no need to make a big do of/out of it! -meaning there's no need to make such a fuss if someone is exaggerating the result of an accident or something being broken.
that is new for me.

Quote:
What would we do without do?
Smile

... and what would I do (/say Smile) without this site…
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Much ado about nothing :) Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:58 am  Much ado about nothing :)
 

Hi

Just to say that I’ve learned a new word – ado

To have much ado
I left their house without more ado.
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Much ado Tue Aug 29, 2006 9:33 am  Much ado
 

Hi Tamara,

As you probably know, this is the title of a play by Bill Shakespeare. It means the same as: A storm in a teacup.

Alan
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Much ado Tue Aug 29, 2006 9:51 am  Much ado
 

Hi Alan

As I've read Shakespeare's plays and poetry only in (Russian) translation (as yet Smile), some (many) original words happen to be new for me. Smile
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Singular or Plural (shoe/shoes, cake/cakes) | Meaning of already (You’re not leaving us already, are you?)
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