dido
noun/ˈdaɪdəʊ/
Etymology Unknown. The "trick" sense might come from the trick of Dido, queen of Carthage, who, having bought as much land as a hide would cover, is said to have cut it into thin strips long enough to enclose a spot for a citadel.
- … she always had strong physical attraction for me … that time I kissed her … one reason I’ve steered clear since … take no chances on emotional didos …1928, Eugene O'Neill, Strange Interlude, Act Four, page 139:
- I remember Raymond telling me years later how when he lived at home, if his mother heard he had been seen as much as talking to a girl, she would kick up a dido.1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 30:
2
A shrewd trick; an antic; a caper.
- Young people," interposed a passing official, "if you keep a cutting didoes, I must talk to you both like a Dutch uncle.1838, Joseph Clay Neal, Charcoal Sketches; Or, Scenes in a Metropolis, page 201:
- Our youngest uncle, Billy, was not old enough to join in their didoes. One of their more flamboyant escapades has become a proud family legend.1969, Maya Angelou, chapter 10, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, New York: Bantam, published 1971, page 55: