Something that fails to work or perform as expected; a complete failure or disappointment.
Possibly from 'Dudley,' an old English cloth that was cheap and low-quality, or from older slang meaning 'clothes.' The word shifted to mean any disappointing failure in the 20th century.
During World War II, 'dud' was military slang for bombs that failed to explode—which is why some WW2 bombs are still being found and carefully detonated today!
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