Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Something extraordinary, impressive, or unique.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun US something that is extraordinary. Often used in the context of troublesome, difficult or problematic, but can be used positively as well.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably alteration of daisy, splendid person or thing (perhaps influenced by the name of Eleonora Duse, (1858–1924), Italian actress).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

American, from daisy (the flower), also 18th century and onward English slang for something excellent. May have been influenced by Eleonora Duse, Italian actress.

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Examples

Comments

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  • According to World Wide Words, this may have come from the word daisy, which in the nineteenth century was English slang for excellent.

    February 5, 2008

  • The graph on the other page shows no occurrences before 1980...really? To me that would cast doubt on the Duesenberg etymology as that was a beast half a century before.

    Anyway, see one here (where etymology claim is repeated, though that doesn't make it any likelier).

    March 19, 2010

  • "doozy rat in a sanitary zoo'd" be a palindrome if it made any sense.

    March 20, 2010

  • Brackets around "doozy rat in a sanitary zoo'd" be wonderful - thanks!

    March 20, 2010