Duds

/dʌdz/ noun

Definition

Clothes or garments, especially one's outfit; or things that fail or don't work as expected.

Etymology

Originally from Flemish/Dutch 'duyde,' meaning clothing. The meaning expanded to include failure or things that don't work, possibly from the idea that bad clothes don't work for their purpose.

Kelly Says

The word 'duds' for clothes comes straight from Flemish traders, but the sense 'things that fail' probably came from the idea that cheap, poorly-made clothes don't work—so a 'dud' is anything that fails its job.

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