Dorothy

Origin of: Dorothy

Dorothy

A Dorothy is Australian rhyming slang for a six-hit in cricket; Dorothy Dix/six. This usage dates from the late 20th century, although the term ‘Dorothy Dix-er’ was first recorded in the Australian Parliament in 1941 and described someone who asked time-wasting questions or who avoided the issue under discussion. Both usages derive from Dorothy Dix which was the pen-name of US journalist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer (1861-1951) who was the forerunner of today’s advice columnists.