Meaning
An expression of relief or satisfaction that an unwanted person or thing has gone. Blunt and often insulting when directed at a person. The extended 'bad rubbish' forms are much later. Regional use: English origin; now international English.
Origin
Riddance meant deliverance or removal in sixteenth-century English, and favourable combinations predate Shakespeare: John Foxe printed 'a good riddance' in 1583. Shakespeare used 'a gentle riddance' in The Merchant of Venice and 'A good riddance' in Troilus and Cressida around 1601-02. He popularised memorable examples but cannot safely be credited with inventing the phrase.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- A good riddance
- Good riddance of bad rubbish
- Good riddance to bad rubbish
Usage Examples
- The old printer jammed every morning, so everyone said good riddance when it was replaced.
- Good riddance, Maya muttered as the corrupt official cleared his desk.
- Small suppliers said good riddance when the pointless registration rule was repealed.