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Glite Dictionary
done and dusted

done and dusted

3 5.6
Completely finished and settled so nothing more needs doing
  • idiom
  • UK
translation icon : completado
  • It's all done and dusted.

There seems to be an agreement of sorts in principle, consensus that this is going to be the direction of travel, but it's not done and dusted just yet.

Examples

  • All done and dusted.

    Blog text (19)

  • And yes, first night with new puppy done and dusted and it was excellent.

  • 1 and 2 are done and dusted, so let me try and think of seven fun facts about myself.

    Blog text (24)

  • A happy hour day done and dusted, Luke Littler in the bag.

  • So, that's it, 2012 World Cup done and dusted.

    Blog text (22)

  • The I-want-a-normal-life issue was done and dusted several seasons ago.

    Blog text (29)

  • The time for surveys and complaining was when the BOE was creating the calendar, not now that it has been done and dusted for months.

    Blog text (26)

  • Done and dusted.

    Leap Year (2010)

  • The project was finally done and dusted after months of hard work.

  • Once the agreement was signed, everything was done and dusted.

Synonyms

complete
vsdone and dusted
863 1.0

Finished and not needing any more work

stresses the same finish but highlights a satisfactorily resolved outcome
done
vsdone and dusted
724 1.0

Finished with a task or activity

emphasizes that the end is finished and accepted as final
out of the way
vsdone and dusted
134 3.7

Finished so it no longer blocks progress

means similarly but highlights a neat, satisfactory final result
out-of-the-way
vsdone and dusted
9 4.3

Already finished and no longer needing attention

adds that the handling produces a clearly resolved outcome
dead and buried
vsdone and dusted
  • Informal
8 3.9

Completely finished and no longer talked about

is similar but slightly less extreme, focusing on neat resolution
all over with
vsdone and dusted
  • Informal
5 2.8

Finished and no longer happening

adds the idea that it is neatly completed and accepted
finished
vsdone and dusted
2 1.0

Complete and no longer needing work

adds the sense of a neat, accepted outcome
ended
vsdone and dusted
1 1.0

Finished and no longer happening

implies that the ending is final and accepted in practice
completed
vsdone and dusted
1.0

Finished and not needing any more work

is more about a finished state with satisfactory resolution
concluded
vsdone and dusted
2.5

Finished and no longer happening

focuses more on a firm, satisfactorily final outcome
accomplished
vsdone and dusted
3.9

Finished and cannot be changed

shares completion but focuses more on a satisfactory final result
consummated
vsdone and dusted
  • Formal
6.8

Fully finished, often in a formal or legal way

is less formal and stresses a neat, practical ending
settled
vsdone and dusted
3.4

Decided so there is no more doubt or argument

matches that decisive sense but stresses complete finality of the result

Antonyms

unresolved
56 4.4

A problem or question that is still not solved

work in progress
41 3.4

A project that is not finished yet

How Finished

done and dusted
  • UK
3 5.6
done
724 1.0
underway
336 4.1
unstarted
1 4.3

Surface Forms

done and dusted positive

Morphology

done + and + dusted

While 'done' clearly means finished, 'dusted' literally refers to removing dust and does not by itself mean 'completed'; the combination is an idiomatic, emphatic pairing meaning 'completely finished'. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words might infer a sense of finality from the repetition/parallelism, but the specific phrasing is partly idiomatic and not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

The idiom done and dusted may come from the image of finishing a job and then literally dusting the room or papers as a last clean touch. That's why when something is done and dusted, it is 'completely finished' or 'settled'.