do's and don'ts
Rules and prohibitions
Do's and don'ts are rules or guidelines about what you should and shouldn't do in a particular situation: The handbook covers the do's and don'ts of business etiquette.
The phrase treats practical advice as two opposing lists—things to embrace and things to avoid.
Also spelled dos and don'ts, without the apostrophe in dos.
- tipsExtras for servers
- rules of thumbPractical approximations for decisions
- instructionsGuidance on how to proceed
- taboosSocially proscribed practices
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
helpful hints · protocol · mores · proper etiquette · propriety · common courtesy · expectations · decorum · manners · suggestions · traditions · regulations · conventions · policies · hints · directives · habits · procedures
do's and don'tsfree rein
Unrestricted freedom to act
anything goes · no rules · free-for-all · carte blanche · lawlessness
do's and don'tsrecommendations
Proposed courses of action
guidelines · friendly advice · take-it-or-leave-it · food for thought · musings
don't, does, done, undone, undoing, redone, redoing, overdone, overdoing