A state of agitation or fuss; busy activity or trouble and difficulty.
From Middle English 'at do', literally meaning 'at do' or 'to do'. Originally a Norse construction that became fixed in English, meaning the state of having much to do or trouble about something. Shakespeare popularized it in 'Much Ado About Nothing'.
The phrase 'without further ado' literally means 'without more to-do or fuss' - it's basically saying 'without more things to do first'. Shakespeare's genius in 'Much Ado About Nothing' was using 'ado' to mean both 'fuss' and as a pun on 'adieu' (goodbye).
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