P.D.Q.
abbreviation
immediately; at once.
P.D.Q.
American
Or
PDQ
abbreviation
Informal.
pdq
British
abbreviation
Etymology
Origin of P.D.Q.
1870–75; p(retty) d(amn) q(uick)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Peter Schickele, an American composer whose career as a writer of serious concert music was often eclipsed by that of his antic alter ego, the thoroughly debauched, terrifyingly prolific and mercifully fictional P.D.Q.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
Wang’s mellow-toned, if sometimes rhythmically ambiguous, performance of Bach’s sublime D Minor Partita led to the ridiculousness of the P.D.Q.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 10, 2017
The group regularly collaborated with composer Peter Schickele, well known for his satirical projects involving the “discovered” works of the only forgotten son of the Bach family, a character he invented named P.D.Q.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2016
"We owe much of our inspiration to him," says Joo, who also notes Dudley Moore, Spike Jones and P.D.Q.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 4, 2012
Obey them P.D.Q. or turn over command to Chief Mate Murphy.
From Cappy Ricks Or, the Subjugation of Matt Peasley by Kyne, Peter B. (Peter Bernard)
Wolfskill’s Valencia orange was coaxed into sweeter, sturdier qualities, and he and his son were soon shipping it eastward, and pdq, Americans cultivated a costly taste for the exotic harvests of faraway California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
