Derring-do is the standard spelling of the noun meaning daring deeds or heroic daring (used especially in reference to swashbuckling heroes). The phrase originated in a late 14th-century Geoffrey Chaucer poem, and it has taken many forms over the years—including durring don (in Chaucer, meaning literally daring to do), dorryng do, derring doe, and derrynge do. And given the term’s meaning and history, it is often spelled daring-do. But as far as most dictionaries and usage guides are concerned, derring-do has been the correct spelling since Sir Walter Scott used it in Ivanhoe in 1819.
Example
Spelling the term daring-do is not a serious error, but it may miff some readers. Most major publications use the accepted spelling—for example:
The secret beating heart of a traveling circus, hidden behind the fluff and flounce of the center ring and the derring-do on the high trapeze … [New York Times]
The caricature of life for Allied PoWs often is often one of breathless derring-do: tunnelling, jumping or … powering to freedom on a souped-up motorcycle. [BBC]
While culinary derring-do has never been one of the town’s primary draws, “serious dining” can now be included alongside London’s famously revolutionary style … [Wall Street Journal]
