Where did the expression 'done and dusted' come from?

Question

I think I've found the answer myself on a website. This phrase relates to the act of distempering a wall. After the process is done all loose particles must be dusted off the wall. That would make it a very old term.

Answer 1

I don't know where it originated, but it means to finish a job completely, and to be ready and prepared for something. I suppose when you doing a job, for example, the housework, you work methodically through each job, sweeping, washing, tidying etc, and the last thing you do is the dusting, then the job is completely finished - hence "all done and dusted".

Answer 2

'jarayaman' claims either ownership of the expression, or introduction into common usage. On both counts, the contributor is wrong. It is an ancient expression that remained in common usage well before 1997. The contributor has merely noted its usage subsequent to such usage by the student group. So sorry, but your claim to 15 minutes of fame for this particular expression fails. (I hope you did better at your exams than you did on this small item of trivia.) As to its origins, one suggestion is that it came about from the practice of penning contracts and then dusting the ink in order to dry it quickly, so that the documents could be readily folded and taken away - 'done and dusted' perhaps being analogous to 'signed, sealed and delivered'.

Answer 3

This I think is a very old saying.
I was under the illusion that it only meant finishing a task as a play on the words 'done & dusted' and it actually referred to all life and death 'life over and back to dust from whence we came?

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Where did the expression 'done and dusted' come from?

Answer 5

Done And Dusted Origin

Answer 6

This phrase came into common parlance in 1997, due to the fact that Trinity Students Union's, (Dublin, Ireland), officer board had decided to form an alliance with STA and during our deliberations for a name for our travel agency in July 1996 we decided on DUST. Then one bright spark, I forget who, stated that this particular deal was truely done and dusted. It became quite apparent after a while that alot of people where using this term including the media from that date on and in 1997 it was quite common to hear news presenters on ITV, Channel 4, BBC and RTE use this phrase. The phrase was applied by us to show that a particular business deal had been finalised, not that a house had been cleaned or that we had forensicly examined the scene of the crime. We happened to choose two words from the english language and fit them together to suit our needs and express ourselves and our satisfaction with our accomplishment.

Answer 7

In Spanish there is an expression "Estoy hecho polvo". lit I am done dust. It means I am exhausted. Maybe it comes from that. It is a very common expression.

Answer 8

If an event or deal is done and dusted it has been completed successfully and none of it is left to be done.

Answer 9

Maybe from the dirt track circuit, after the dust settles you can see the winner.