Buzz
If you’ve ever heard an unbelievable tale packed with surprises, shocking twists, and hard-to-imagine details, you may have exclaimed, “Wow, that’s a real doozy.” The same applies to extreme weather events like a heavy snowstorm: it’s a doozy of a blizzard. Anything extraordinary or unexpected often gets labeled a ‘doozy’ to express the shock or amazement at the dramatic highs and lows of a person’s experience.
But what exactly makes something a doozy? And why is it associated with dramatic peaks and valleys?
As per Merriam-Webster, the term doozy first surfaced around 1916 to describe something unusual or remarkable, though traces of the word can be found as early as 1904. Back then, doozy was also used as an adjective meaning elegant or impressive.
One notable instance appears in the May 11, 1916 edition of The Paxton Record from Paxton, Illinois, which stated:
“The Melvin Band is planning to celebrate both the 4th and 5th this year, and if everything goes according to plan, there will be something happening every minute during those days. The previous celebration was a ‘doozy,’ so why not make this one even better?”
The expression 'a real doozy' came into use later, gaining popularity in the 1950s and taking on a somewhat ironic tone. As a Hutchinson News editorial from February 5, 1950, put it, “The advertising guys have really come up with a doozy this time,” before criticizing a safety razor ad for using war imagery to sell their product.
The term ‘doozy’ likely evolved from the 1800s English slang word ‘daisy,’ which referred to something extraordinary or beautiful. Your partner might be a real ‘daisy,’ or perhaps your dog or a new car.
‘Daisy’ made its way into North America in the 19th century. In the 1890s, an Italian actress named Eleonora Duse (pronounced ‘doo-say’) gained fame for her realistic acting style. In American vernacular, words like ‘daisy,’ ‘Duse,’ and ‘doozy’ might have merged, with ‘doozy’ eventually becoming the go-to term for something unique or remarkable.
What the term does not refer to is the Duesenberg car, which is occasionally suggested as the origin of the word. These luxury vehicles were notorious for their hefty price tag—around $25,000 when most cars cost only a fraction of that. People even gave them the nickname ‘Duesies.’ However, the Duesenberg didn’t make its debut until 1920, long after the word ‘doozy’ had already become widely used. So, the story behind that claim—well, you can probably figure it out.
