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.
For more than half a century, in works like the “Unbegun” Symphony and “Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle and Balloons,” Peter Schickele’s creation, the fictional composer 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
P.D.Q., commanding the Haw-Haw Guards, who seems to neglect his missus.
From A Man in the Open by Pocock, Roger
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.
