Make Your Point: DONE AND DUSTED

Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DONE AND DUSTED

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pronounce DONE AND DUSTED:

DUN and DUSS tid

connect this word to others:

A big high five to Tim, a reader and a patron, for pointing me toward the ultra-cool phrase done and dusted, meaning "totally finished."

It's a delight to say as you finish a task and wipe your hands. Fwoosh. Done and dusted.

See if you can recall another fun-to-say phrase. This one means you've completely gotten rid of something. You've yanked it out, or torn it up, r__t and b___ch.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Done and dusted" is a relaxed, slangy phrase that we've used in English since 1953 or so. It means "completely done: completely finished, requiring no more work and no more thought."

According to some sources, the phrase arose as a callback to days when people would write important documents in ink, then sprinkle an absorbent dust onto the ink to help it dry faster. Blow off the dust, and the document is all set to go. Done and dusted!

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "The presentation was done and dusted."

Other forms:

None.

how to use it:

Pick the fun, casual, somewhat unusual phrase "done and dusted" to give special emphasis to the fact that your work is totally complete.

"This project? Done and dusted."

"It's a slog right now, but just think: tomorrow it'll be done and dusted."

"I've got to get my to-dos to-done and dusted before the weekend."

examples:

"Benítez had rubbed his hands together after his team had taken a 2-0 lead, apparently decreeing the match done and dusted."
— Rory Smith, New York Times, 23 October 2016

"Luckily, [stopping children from messing around near oil wells] is pretty easy. [Cuts to video: 'And no hanging out around oil wells. If you got caught under one, you wouldn't have to worry about being paralyzed. Because you'd be dead.'] Done and dusted. And my God, that whole video is worth a watch."
— Rollie Williams, Climate Town: The Brainwashing Of America's Children, 12 September 2023

has this page helped you understand "done and dusted"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "done and dusted" without saying "fully finished" or "signed, sealed, delivered."

try it out:

Fill in the blank: "If I could get my work done and dusted in an hour, I'd spend the rest of the day (doing something)."

Example: "If I could get my work done and dusted in an hour, I'd spend the rest of the day making music and organizing things."

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Market That Makeup!"

Check out the names given to the shades in a palette, and decide what to call the shade with the missing name. You might channel the vibe established by the other shade names, or just pick the weirdest or most grandiloquent name you can think of. To see the shade's real name—the one that the marketing team picked—scroll all the way down.

Try this one today:

Lamora's "Bronze Palette" includes shades like "Wild," "Cayenne," "Deep," "Lava," and "Dynamite."

Invent a name for the shade in the middle row, far left:

(Source)

review this word:

1. A near opposite of DONE AND DUSTED could be

A. REVIVED.
B. POSSIBLE.
C. IN PROCESS.

2. In the news, you might read about _____ being done and dusted.

A. parks, schools, and libraries
B. film critics or restaurant critics
C. votes in Congress, or national elections

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DONE AND DUSTED

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