daily dozen

Meanings

1. 1nounsingularold-fashioned

   A set of about twelve simple exercises done every day, especially as a morning routine.

   Grammar: Used with 'the' or 'a'; it refers to the whole set, not to individual exercises.

   Patterns

   • do the daily dozen
   • the daily dozen

   My grandfather still does the daily dozen every morning before breakfast.

   The old fitness book recommended the daily dozen for people who sat at desks all day.

2. 2nounsingularfigurativeold-fashioned

   Any small set of tasks or habits that someone does regularly each day.

   Grammar: Used figuratively with 'the'; often followed by 'of' to name the tasks.

   Patterns

   • the daily dozen of something
   • do your daily dozen

   Her daily dozen of emails, calls, and meetings leaves her exhausted.

   He calls his morning chores his daily dozen, even though there are only eight.

Common combinations

do the daily dozen

She does the daily dozen before her shower.

the daily dozen exercises

The daily dozen exercises were popular in the 1920s.

start with the daily dozen

Start with the daily dozen if you are new to exercise.

Synonyms and how they differ

daily workout

A modern, general term for any daily exercise session; 'daily dozen' specifically suggests a short, fixed set of about twelve moves.

morning routine

A broader phrase for everything you do each morning; 'daily dozen' refers only to the exercises.

Word family

daily adjective

Happening every day.

dozen number

A group of twelve.

Commonly confused: daily dozen or daily dozen?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “daily dozen”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words