whodunnit
Definition
- Noun:
- A mystery story or novel: "whodunnit" refers to a type of story, book, film, or play that focuses on solving a crime, typically a murder, where the identity of the perpetrator (the "who done it") is unknown until the end. It is a colloquial term derived from the phrase "who done it?" (nonstandard English for "who did it?").
Usage Examples
- (A mystery novel where the reader tries to guess the killer.)
- (A movie centered on solving a murder mystery.)
- (Mystery stories that challenge the reader's deductive skills.)
Advanced Usage
- "a classic whodunnit": a traditional mystery story that follows conventions like a closed circle of suspects, a clever detective, and a surprising reveal.
- Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" is a classic whodunnit. (A well-known example of the genre.)
- "a cozy whodunnit": a subgenre of mystery fiction that avoids explicit violence or sex, often set in a small community.
- The book is a cozy whodunnit set in a quaint English village. (A gentle, non-graphic mystery.)
Variants and Related Words
- Whodunit (n): an alternative spelling of "whodunnit" (more common in American English).
- The movie is a gripping whodunit with multiple twists. (A mystery story.)
- Whodunnit-style (adj): describing something that resembles or is characteristic of a whodunnit mystery.
- The party had a whodunnit-style game where guests had to solve a fake murder. (A game or activity modeled after the genre.)
Synonyms
- Mystery: a story or film dealing with a puzzling crime or event.
- Detective story: a narrative focused on a detective solving a crime.
- Crime fiction: a genre of literature where crime is central to the plot.
- Murder mystery: a specific type of whodunnit involving a killing.
Related Idioms
- "Who done it?": the informal phrase from which "whodunnit" is derived, used to ask about the perpetrator of a crime.
- In a whodunnit, the question "who done it?" is the central puzzle. (The core question of the genre.)