properly v. inf. = at do, which was the fuller form. [In Norse at is the prep. used with the inf. = Eng. to; see A- pref. 5. Hence in northern Eng., as still used in north Lanc. and Westm. ‘a bit o’ summat at eat.’ Ado is thus a northern dialect form for to do, which has in certain phrases, and as a sb., passed into general use.]
1. pres. inf. To do; in northern writers in all constructions; in others only after have, in phrase to have ado. (Cf. Fr. avoir affaire, orig. avoir à faire to have a-do, or to do.)
1280[?]. Kemble’s Cod. Dipl., II. 186. Na man sal have at do.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 349. I mycht nocht suffice thar-to, Sa mekill suld be thare ado.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5083. Al that thei han ado.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 181. We have othere thinges at do.
c. 1466. Sir J. Paston, in Lett., 566, II. 295. Fur I woll nowt have ado ther with.
c. 1550. Cheke, Matt. vi. 34. Eueri dai hath inough adoo with her own troble.
1637. Gillespie, Eng. Pop. Cerem., I. viii. 25. We are dead to them, and have nothing adoe with them.
c. 1817. J. Hogg, Tales (1837), II. 194. I wonder what he had ado in appearing to me?
2. In doing, being done; at work, astir.
1577. Fleetwood, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 202. III. 56. Upon Thursday there was nothing ado but preaching of Sermondes.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., xxvii. 58. Only an eager bustling, that rather keeps ado than does anything.
1634–46. J. Row (father), Hist. Kirk (1842), 291. The tryell of presbyteries is the principall thing that is ado at this tyme.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., 97 (1862), I. 248. The remembrance … raised a great tempest & (if I may speak so) made the devil ado in my soul.
1698. J. Newton, in Phil. Trans., XX. 263. How now, what is here ado?
¶ Hence through such phrases as much ado, little ado, more ado, by taking the adverbs as adjs. qualifying ado the latter was viewed as a sb., and so construed in a great ado, any ado, etc. The transition may be seen in the following quotations, in the first of which ado is still the inf., in the second the sb., in the third it may be either.
1563. Homilies, II. (1859), 191. To have any thing ado with him. Ibid., 178. That any true christian ought to have any ado with filthy and dead images. Ibid., 472. St. Paul had much ado for the staying of that matter.
3. sb. (pl. rare, adoes, ados.) Doing, action, business, fuss. Without more ado: without further work, ceremony.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1495. Þe lordes buþ þan a-paste; wyþoute more a-do.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., A-do, or grete bysynesse, Sollicitudo.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of Armes, II. xxxviii. 160. They that by the see wol go, be it in armee or to som other adoo.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. xlv. 6. The Heithen are madd, the kyngdomes make much adoo.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. iv. 23. Weele keepe no great adoe, a Friend, or two.
1634–46. J. Row (father), Hist. Kirk (1842), 162. The King’s Majestie … imployed them at his pleasure in some particular adoes.
1755. B. Martin, Mag. Arts & Sc., III. xi. 237. The Ancients made much more ado about this Season of the Year than we.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., III. xii. 85. William wanted a wife, and they were married without more ado.
4. Action or work forced upon one, labor, trouble, difficulty. With much ado: with much trouble or difficulty.
1485. Caxton, Chas. the Gt., 221. And made no more a-doo to bere hym, than dooth a wulf to bere a lytel lambe.
1513. More, Hist. Edwd. V., 6. His Mother the Dutches had much adoe in her travell.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Paraphr. Mark v. 27. She had with muche ado wounde her selfe out of the prease of people.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah Sight, IV. vi. 105. Their clothes were made large and loose, easie to be put on, without any adoe.
1742. Wesley, Wks., 1872, I. 357. I had much ado to sit my horse.
1850. Carlyle, Latter-d. Pamphl., I. 56. Unhewed forests, quaking bogs;—which we shall have our own ados to make arable and habitable.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., I. iii. 129. Tribes which the Kings had much ado to keep in even nominal subjection.
