Expression: Big do

[Tamara]

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. :)

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? :)

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

Tamara
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[Alan]

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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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Tamara]

Hi Alan

Thank you for the validation :)
and for the

[Tamara]

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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[Alan]

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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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Tamara]

Hi Alan

As I've read Shakespeare's plays and poetry only in (Russian) translation (as yet :)), some (many) original words happen to be new for me. :)
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