dos and don’ts

D

dos and don’ts

Meaning

• rules about what you must do and what you must not do in a specific condition.
• what is and what is not suggested or permitted in a particular region or issue.
• rules or practices that apply to a certain activity.
• the guidelines of what should be done and what shouldn’t be done.

Example Sentences

1. In the back of the guide, there’s a list of the dos and don’ts of local etiquette.
2. It’s important to know the dos and don’ts of diplomatic receptions.
3. I must confess that a bunch of the dos and don’ts don’t create much wisdom for me either.
4. It pays to know the dos and don’ts of a political conference in advance.

Origin

Without clear origin evidence, it is believed that the phrase originated in the 1900s. The term describes what is appropriate and inappropriate to say or do.

Behaviour