dos and don'ts
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See also: do's and don't's and do's and don'ts
English
Etymology
From dos (“plural of do (“something that can or should be done”)”) + and + don’ts (“plural of don’t (“something that must or should not be done”)”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌduːz‿n̩ ˈdəʊnts/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /ˌduz‿n̩ ˈdoʊnts/
- Rhymes: -əʊnts
Noun
dos and don'ts pl (plural only)
- A set of things that one should do or not do in a particular situation; a set of guidelines or rules that one has to or ought to follow.
Usage notes
The plural forms of do and don’t are correctly dos and don’ts respectively; do’s and don’t’s are sometimes used for the sake of legibility, but are considered by some as incorrect.
Alternative forms
- do's and don'ts, do's and don't's (often proscribed)
Translations
set of things that one should do or not do in a particular situation
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References
- ^ “dos and don’ts” under “do, n.1”, in OED Online
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2024; “dos and don’ts, phrase” under “do, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
