doodah n.1
an emotional crisis, a nervous, tense state.
![]() | Eggs, Beans & Crumpets ((1951)) 74: But the thought that the hour of that springing [i.e. of bad news] must inevitably come kept him in pretty much of a doodah. | |
![]() | Mating Season 221: That’ll give you a rough idea of the sort of doodah I’m in. |
In phrases
in a fluster, in a state, very agitated.
![]() | With the Flying Squadron (1916) 97: I had lunch with the Rs and five daughters (swish, I was all of a doo-da!) and then spent the whole of the afternoon trying to get my beastly engine to go. | |
![]() | (con. WWI) Soldier and Sailor Words 5: All of a Doodah: An expression used of an aeroplane pilot getting nervous in mid air (Air Force). Pre-War ordinary slang. | |
![]() | Good Companions 309: I don’t care if a man’s been fifty years in the business, there’s still the same old thrill comes back. Opening night – all of a doodah! | |
![]() | Have His Carcase 242: My dear, what’s happened? You’re all of a doodah! | |
![]() | Family from One End Street 135: ‘I feels all of a do-da!’ exclaimed Mr Ruggles. | |
![]() | Bitten by the Tarantula (2005) 163: Well, we were all of a doodah [...] all rushing to and fro. | ‘Gas’ in|
![]() | Pigs have Wings 28: Poor old Clarence was patently all of a doodah. | |
![]() | Jeeves in the Offing 41: When Upjohn came out just now, he was all of a doodah. |