what the doctor ordered

== English == === Etymology === A reference to a doctor prescribing treatment to alleviate a patient’s illness, or a course of action (exercise, a healthy diet, relaxation, etc.) that will be beneficial to the patient’s health. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌʍɒt ðə ˈdɒktə ˌɔːdəd/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌʍɑt ðə ˈdɑktɚ ˌɔɹdɚd/, [ˌwɑt-] Hyphenation: what the doc‧tor or‧dered === Noun === what the doctor ordered (uncountable) (idiomatic) Exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation; something very beneficial or desirable. ==== Alternative forms ==== just what the doctor ordered ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== doctor's orders you are the doctor, you're the doctor === Further reading === “what the doctor ordered” under “doctor, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2020. “be just what the doctor ordered, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.