derring-do
idiom

- brave action taken without considering the danger involved

The Cambridge Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The phrase "derring-do" originated in Middle English as dorryng do, which means "daring to do” — over time, it underwent changes in spelling and pronunciation, eventually becoming "derring-do”.

The term became popular during the 16th and 17th centuries and was often used in literature and poetry to describe heroic or chivalrous actions.

Despite its historical origins, "derring-do" has retained its unique and distinctive character, often evoking a sense of swashbuckling adventure and daring exploits.

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A COUNCIL OF MICE

"Belling the Cat”, a fable also known as "The Bell and the Cat" and "The Mice in Council”, tells the tale of a group of mice who devise a plan to avoid the threat of a marauding cat. They propose attaching a bell to the cat's neck to warn of its approach. While the idea is met with enthusiastic approval, the mice are stuck when faced with the task of finding a volunteer with the DERRING-DO to put the bell on the cat.

In July 2014, Eliot Higgins had the courage to found the aptly named organization "Bellingcat”, dedicated to the investigation of dubious information and fake news. It’s successes include the discovery of who was behind the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, details of the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the UK, and the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

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SYNONYMS

adventurousness, audaciousness, audacity, backbone, balls, ballsiness, belling-the-cat, boldness, bottle, braveness, bravery, bravado, brazenness, brass, cheek, chivalry, chutzpah, cojones, confidence, daring, daringness, dauntlessness, determination, doggedness, doughtiness, drive, DERRING-DO, fearlessness, fibre, fire, fortitude, gallantry, gameness, grit, guts, gutsiness, heart, heroism, indomitability, intrepidity, intrepidness, knightliness, mettle, moxie, nerve, pluck, pluckiness, resolution, resolve, resoluteness, spirit, spiritedness, spunk, spunkiness, temerity, valour, venturousness, willfulness, willpower

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“How can we encourage more DERRING-DO from our marketing agency?”

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