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A.Word.A.Day--whodunit

whodunit (hoo-DUN-it) noun

A story about the solving of a crime, especially a murder.

[Alteration of "Who done it?". Coined in 1930 by Donald Gordon in an ad ("A satisfactory whodunit") for a murder mystery.]

See more usage examples of whodunit in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

"Best Served Cold is a formulaic whodunit comedy with a cast of characters that includes a cook, another cook, a third cook (did we mention there are a lot of cooks in the show?), her twin sister, a fast food tycoon and perhaps most despicable of all, a food critic."
Geoffrey Eu; Dishing up Humour; The Business Times (Singapore); Apr 19, 2004.

"'This case is not a whodunit,' defense attorney Robert Richman said in opening statements. 'This is a whydunit.'"
Joshua Freed; Navy Hero Goes on Trial for Armed Robbery; Associated Press (New York); Apr 27, 2004.

This week's theme: coined words.

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