Derring-do

[aous02]

How would you use this word?
I mean in wich context?

[Casiopea]

http://www.usingenglish.com/referenc...erring-do.html

derring-do - Google Search
1. From an early age, Skilling, the son of a sales manager for an Illinois valve company, showed the same kind of supreme self-confidence and derring-do that ...

2. What's novel here is that this is being done in a completely transparent way, whereas in the past all the discussions and verbal derring-do would have ...

3. LTHOUGH Jacques Derrida (who recently died) is hailed by Western scholars for having performed a philosophical derring-do by propounding his theory of ...

4. It takes a spot of courage to stand up tall and a bit of derring-do to rise when you fall.

__________________________
It's "derring-do" ... but it shouldn't be

"Derring-do" turns out to have an interesting history. It was a challenge to find, but the OED lists it as a "pseudo archaism" which originated with Chaucer, was misunderstood by Lydgate, picked up but misprinted by Spenser, and then taken up by Sir Walter Scott, and it's been "derring-do" ever since. The series of errors and misunderstandings have created a word meaning "reckless courage." If you have an OED, it's interesting reading.

Does that help?

[Delmobile]

To me, the word has a slightly ridiculous, ironic sense, in modern use anyway. For example, I can't imagine someone awarding a medal post-humously to a fallen soldier for his derring-do on the battlefield. But I can easily imagine a description of little boys playing at being soldiers, running around the house with wooden swords and committing great feats of derring-do atop the shed roof.

[Casiopea]

Welcome, Delmobile.



From The Word Detective, Issue of December 20, 2002 :

Of course, that was before Snidely ran for office.

Ah, derring-do, where has it gone? I can't remember the last time I saw any real derring-do in the movies or on TV, but it was probably in a Dudley Doright cartoon. Dudley, whose adventures appeared as a feature on the old Rocky the Flying Squirrel show, had derring-do to spare, saving brave Nell Fenwick from the clutches of Snidely Whiplash each and every week. But derring-do seems to have fallen by the wayside of late in favor of so-called "heroes" of the James Bond stripe, whose heroism apparently lies in their ability to read the directions for the endless baroque gadgets they employ.

[Delmobile]

Thanks, Casiopea. I guess I should have introduced myself in the coffee shop or whatever, but I just plunged in. :)

I LOVE the Word Detective. And Rocky & Bullwinkle, too.