derring-do
noun
Derring-do — daring deeds performed with old-fashioned, swashbuckling courage
Definition
Brave and heroic feats
In depth
Derring-do names brave and heroic feats, a phrase with an unmistakably antique, romantic flavor, evoking knights, swordfights, and daring rescues rather than ordinary modern courage. The word is almost always used with a knowing wink, deployed for its swashbuckling charm as much as its literal meaning.
Origin
The phrase originated as a misreading of Middle English durring don, meaning 'daring to do,' found in Chaucer and later writers. A printer's error in the sixteenth century mistakenly rendered the phrase as a single compound noun, 'derring-do,' and later writers, particularly Sir Walter Scott, embraced the charming mistake, cementing it permanently into the language as a deliberately antiquated word for heroic action.
Usage examples
"The old adventure novels were filled with derring-do, each chapter ending on some impossibly narrow escape."
"Critics praised the film's old-fashioned derring-do, a welcome change from grimmer, more cynical action movies."
"He told the story of his youthful derring-do with such relish that no one dared interrupt to question the details."
How to use it
Derring-do is deliberately archaic, theatrical vocabulary, best used with full awareness of its slightly tongue-in-cheek, old-fashioned charm. It suits adventure fiction, playful prose, and ironic commentary on heroic clichés far better than serious or contemporary writing.
Related concepts
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