what the doctor ordered

English

WOTD – 30 March 2021

Etymology

A reference to a doctor prescribing treatment to alleviate a patient’s illness, or a course of action (exercise, a healthy diet, relaxation, etc.) that will be beneficial to the patient’s health.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌʍɒt ðə ˈdɒktə ˌɔːdəd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌʍɑt ðə ˈdɑktɚ ˌɔɹdɚd/, [ˌwɑt-]

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

  (just what the doctor ordered)
• Hyphenation: what the doc‧tor or‧dered

Noun

what the doctor ordered (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) Exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation; something very beneficial or desirable.

Alternative forms

• just what the doctor ordered

Translations

exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation

• Catalan: anar com l'anell al dit
• Finnish: juuri sitä, mitä lääkäri määrää
• Russian: то, что до́ктор прописа́л (ru) (to, što dóktor propisál)
• Spanish: venir de perlas, venir que ni pintado, venir al pelo (es)
• Ukrainian: те, що лі́кар прописа́в (te, ščo líkar propysáv)

See also

• doctor's orders
• you are the doctor, you're the doctor

Further reading

• “what the doctor ordered” under “doctor, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, July 2020.
• “be just what the doctor ordered, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.