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Writing Tip: Ado vs. Adieu

Writing Tip: Ado vs. Adieu

You have probably seen “without further adieu” written somewhere before in an introduction to an article or other piece of work.  While it may sound and look nice, it is actually incorrect.  You should use “without further ado” instead.

The term “ado” means fuss or bustle.  So, by saying “without further ado,” you are telling the audience that you are ready to get into the meat and potatoes of your piece without giving them anymore unnecessary details or extraneous information.

The use of “adieu” instead of “ado” is what some people refer to as an eggcorn.  An eggcorn is a case where people confuse words that sound the same.  Why eggcorn?  Apparently somebody thought that it was how “acorn” was spelled.

“Adieu” is the French term for a farewell or goodbye.  Writing “without further adieu” would translate to “without further farewells,” which really would not make sense in any writing.  Additionally, if you were to do it correctly, it would have to be “without further adieus,” since your farewells are plural.

To conclude, simply use “without further ado” as you write when you want to convey that it’s time to get to the actual body or core of your work.

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