ne\'er-do-well

[nair-doo-wel] Origin

ne'er-do-well

[nair-doo-wel]
noun
1.
an idle, worthless person; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; good-for-nothing.
adjective
2.
worthless; ineffectual; good-for-nothing.

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Ne'er-do-well is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

Origin:
1730–40


1. idler, loafer, wastrel.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
ne'er-do-well
 
n
1.  an improvident, irresponsible, or lazy person
 
adj
2.  useless; worthless: your ne'er-do-well schemes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ne'er-do-well
"one who is good for nothing," 1737, Scot. and northern Eng. dialect, from contraction of phrase never do well. The adj. is first recorded 1773.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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