• stabryen@piefed.social
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    7 days ago

    Can someone explain what ado means then? I was under the impression ado was like a big commotion, as in “Much ado about nothing”. When did the ado = delay meaning appear?

    • MrMcGasion@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      The ado is the commotion/activity/fuss that is unnecessary. So “without further ado” is just another way of saying “without any more unnecessary fuss [let’s get down to the important business we’re all here for]”

      • stabryen@piefed.social
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        7 days ago

        I saw that it’s in the dictionary. Dictionaries document how it’s used so it makes sense. However, my pondering was as to whether it has always had this meaning or if it came more recently (possibly as a result of 'without further ado" being used in wider contexts)…