|
Idiom |
Definition |
Usage |
| DAMN
(SOMEONE) WITH FAINT PRAISE |
to criticize in such a way that one appears to be praising
when in fact one is condemning or disapproving
Compare to: backhanded compliment In this idiom the word
‘faint’ means weak or feeble. |
1. Jeff told me that the diet I was trying was showing
results, and he asked how much more weight I had to lose. He
was really telling me that I’m still too fat. He was damning
me with faint praise.
2. Alicia told me that she was never able to make her old
shoes last more than a few years the way I could. She was
really trying to point out that my shoes were old and that
hers are not. She damned me with faint praise. |
| dancing to a
different tune |
acting differently |
Now that she has money,
she seems to be dancing to a different tune. |
| DARK
HORSE |
a competitor who is little-known by most people but who is
expected to win by someone more knowledgeable
The expression originates from horse racing jargon. It is
often used to mean a surprise candidate in a political
election. |
1. The voters know very little about Mr. Johnson, but he’s a
dark horse and I think he’ll win the election.
2. At the racetrack, we placed our money on a horse most
people had never seen before, but was expected to do well.
He was a dark horse in the race. |
| dash off |
leave quickly |
I need to dash
off to the store to get a few things. |
| DAWN ON
(SOMEONE) |
to realize something that was perhaps already apparent to
others
Similar to: see the light The expression suggests that the
dawn reveals a situation. See the light simply means to
understand, whereas dawn on someone suggests that one has
been blind or slow to understand. |
1. I was surprised that there was so little traffic in the
morning and that I was the first one to arrive at work. When
no one else had shown up by 8:30, it finally dawned on me
that it was a holiday.
2. A man came to Tom’s house yesterday asking all sorts of
questions about Tom’s schedule. I asked Tom why it hadn’t
dawned on him that the man may have been a thief checking
when Tom would be away from home. |
| day and night |
continually |
We worked day
and night to finish the project. |
| day in and day
out |
regularly |
He goes to that
restaurant day in and day out. |
| DAYS
ARE NUMBERED, (SOMEONE’S/ SOMETHING’S) |
there is only a short time before something ends
The expression suggests that the number of days associated
with a situation is not indefinite. It is often used about
someone facing death or dismissal. |
1. Judy always comes to work late, and I think the boss is
going to fire her soon. Her days are numbered.
2. Your old car’s days are numbered. It’s only a matter of
time before you have to get a new one. |
| dead ahead |
directly in front |
There was a truck
dead ahead of our car. |
| dead as a
doornail |
definitely dead |
The bug was dead
as a doornail after hitting the car. |
| dead center |
exactly in the middle |
She was able to hit the
target dead center. |
| dead duck |
person in a hopeless
situation |
He is a dead
duck. |
| dead end |
an impasse |
The negotiations have
come to a dead end. |
| dead set against |
completely opposed to |
She is dead set
against getting a new car. |
| dead tired |
exhausted |
She was dead
tired when she got home from work. |
| DEAD TO
THE WORLD |
fast asleep |
1. Crystal tried to wake her sons to get them on their way
to school, but they had stayed out until well past midnight
and now they were dead to the world. Nothing could rouse
them.
2. I was barely aware that my telephone was ringing in the
middle of the night because I was dead to the world. I
couldn’t drag myself out of bed in time to answer it. |
| dead to the
world |
completely asleep |
She was dead to
the world for the entire car ride. |
| DEAL
(SOMEONE) IN/OUT |
to include someone in something, especially a card game
The expression originates from the idea of being included or
excluded from a hand of cards in a card game like poker, and
is still in reference to card games. It is also used
figuratively in business ventures and other group
activities. |
1. Mary thought their business venture was promising, but
she didn’t have a lot of money, so she told them to deal her
out.
2. If you’ll excuse me for a moment; I’m going to make a
phone call. But I want to play this round of cards, so you
can deal me in. |
| deal with |
be involved with |
I really didn't wanna deal with it. |
| decked out |
dressed in fancy clothes |
She was decked
out for the party. |
| deep-six |
dispose of |
They decided to
deep-six the office printer. |
| deep water |
trouble |
She will be in
deep water unless she has a better explanation. |
| deer
in the headlights |
|
|
| deliver the
goods |
succeed in doing what is
expected |
He knows how to
deliver the goods. |
| DIAMOND
IN THE ROUGH |
an unpolished or unsophisticated person that has potential
The expression suggests an uncut diamond, which is
unattractive to the eye but which has the potential of
becoming a beautiful stone when properly cut and polished. |
1. Liz must have seen that Tim was a diamond in the rough,
because she asked him out, and now they’re getting married.
2. The boss always thought Sarah had little potential for
advancement in the company, but he realized she was a
diamond in the rough when she contributed some very useful
ideas at the staff meeting. |
| die down |
grow weaker |
The noise from the crowd
began to die down. |
| die off |
die one after another |
The flowers began to
die off because of the cold air. |
| die out |
disappear slowly |
The dinosaurs began to
die out millions of years ago. |
| dig in |
begin eating |
Everyone dig in
while the food is hot. |
| dig
your heels in |
|
|
| dime a
dozen |
|
|
| dirty look |
look that shows dislike
or disapproval |
The girl gave him a
dirty look. |
| dish out |
serve |
She began to
dish out the food as soon as the guests arrived. |
| dish out |
give |
He likes to dish
out criticism to others. |
| DIVIDE
THE SPOILS |
to give portions of the goods captured during a war to the
winners of the war
The expression is used literally in the context of war, but
it can also be used figuratively, as in sentence 2. |
1. Several centuries ago, it was common practice for
invading armies to divide the spoils after they had won a
battle. Whatever goods they had captured, such as money or
livestock, would be divided among themselves to keep.
2. The boys from two rival camps decided to compete for a
gallon of ice cream. The winning team would get to divide
the spoils and the losing team would get nothing. |
| DO AN
ABOUT-FACE |
to change one’s behavior or mind abruptly and (often)
apparently without reason
The expression originates from the military command “About
face!” which instructs a soldier to turn in the opposite
direction. |
1. Yesterday, the boss said none of us could take our
vacations in June. Then this morning, he did an about-face
and said we could.
2. At first Ron’s parents wouldn’t let him have a car, but
when they realized how much they would have to drive him
around, they did an about-face. |
| do a snow job on |
deceive |
Don't try to do
a snow job on me. |
| DOG
DAYS (OF SUMMER) |
very hot days
The expression has an astronomical source. It is the time in
July and August when, in the northern hemisphere, the Dog
Star, Sirius, rises in conjunction with the sun. In ancient
times it was believed that it was the combined heat of
Sirius and the sun that caused the hot weather. |
1. Summer in the southern United States is uncomfortably hot
and humid. In July and August, we suffer through the dog
days.
2. I can’t stand the dog days of summer. Next year I’m going
to buy an air conditioner! |
|
DOG-EARED |
well-worn
The expression suggests the idea of a dog’s ears, which are
pliable and limp, just as the page corners of a book become
after extensive fingering and frequent turning. |
1. The pages of this library book are really dog-eared. A
lot of people must have borrowed it and read it.
2. I’ve put the report in a plastic folder so the pages
don’t get dog-eared. |
| |
ruthless, competitive, and fast-paced
The expression suggests the idea of animals that are so
desperate that they eat their own kind. |
1. Ed decided to quit his job in business because everyone
seemed so dishonest, trying to get his job and steal his
clients. It was a dog-eat-dog world.
2. John moved away from New York City to a small town in the
Midwest because life in the big city was dog- eat-dog. |
|
DOG-EAT-DOG |
|
|
| domino
effect |
|
|
| don't
count your chickens before they hatch |
|
|
| don't
give up your day job |
|
|
| don't
hold your breath |
|
|
| DO OR
DIE |
to act out of necessity, even if the outcome is unpleasant
(sentences 1 and 2) or to try one’s hardest despite the
likelihood of failure (sentence 3)
The expression can function as a noun phrase (sentence 1), a
verb (sentence 2), or an adjective (sentence 3). When used
as a verb, the expression is never conjugated (i.e., never
“does or dies”), and thus is only used with I, we, and they. |
1. We decided the time had come to make a decision and act
on it. As Harvey said to me, “It’s do or die.”
2. When the time came to mount an attack on the enemy, the
captain said, “Men, the time is now. We do or die.”
3. The boys tried their hardest to succeed. They had a real
do-or-die attitude. |
| DO
(SOMEONE) A GOOD TURN |
to do someone a favor without having been asked and without
expecting a favor in return |
1. I contribute to a charity because, when I had very little
money and no job, someone once did me a good turn and now I
want to repay the favor by doing the same for someone else.
2. Sally is very loyal to her company because they had faith
in her and did her a good turn. They gave her a job when no
one else would hire her. |
| DOT THE
I’S AND CROSS THE T’S |
to be very careful and attentive to detail
The expression probably originates from the idea of being
careful to complete the letters “i” and “t” in cursive
handwriting to ensure they are clearly identifiable from
each other. |
1. We have to make this written proposal the best one they
receive. We have to make sure we dot the i’s and cross the
t’s.
2. I was in a hurry to get this letter to the lawyer. It was
more important to get it mailed today than to dot the i’s
and cross the t’s. |
| double check |
close to the due date |
They had to
double check the balance sheet again. |
| DOWN
AND OUT |
poor
The expression suggests the idea of being down at the bottom
of society and out of luck. |
1. Years ago Sam was down and out. He had no job and no
money.
2. This is a shelter for the down and out of the city. The
homeless can come here for a hot meal and a place to sleep
at night. |
| DOWN IN
THE DUMPS |
depressed
Synonyms: blue; down in the mouth |
1. I’m not feeling very cheerful these days. I’ve been down
in the dumps for a while.
2. We’ve been down in the dumps ever since our pet cat died.
I wonder if getting a new kitten would make us feel better. |
| DOWN IN
THE MOUTH |
unhappy
Synonyms: blue; down in the dumps
A reference to the way one’s mouth turns downward when one
is sad. |
1. Jeff has been down in the mouth since he lost his job.
2. You look so sad. Why so down in the mouth? |
| DOWN
TO EARTH |
practical and rational; unpretentious
Synonym: both feet on the ground
Antonym: head in the clouds
The expression suggests one has one’s feet firmly planted on
solid ground rather than having unrealistic ideas or flighty
behavior. |
1. The boss always listens to Ralph’s suggestions because
his ideas are reasonable and down to earth.
2. John is just the kind of young man a girl’s parents want
her to marry. He’s so practical and down to earth about
everything. |
| DOWN TO
THE WIRE |
to the deadline
Synonym: eleventh hour
Compare to: in the nick of time; under the wire
Whereas eleventh hour means late, down to the wire, under
the wire and in the nick of time convey the sense of being
just barely in time. |
1. The newspaper article was due no later than 4 o’clock and
the editor got it in at exactly 3:59. He went right down to
the wire.
2. Some students write their best research papers if they
wait until the night before they are due. They leave them
until they are down to the wire. |
| down with |
okay with |
Hey, I'm down
with taking an easy class. |
| drama
queen |
|
|
| |
to be unable to remember
Used at least since the 16th century, this idiom originally
referred to lottery tickets. One who drew a blank had a
ticket worth nothing. |
1. Charles drew a blank when he tried to remember the date
of his wedding anniversary. He had to ask his wife when it
was.
2. Andrea always draws a blank when she runs into people she
doesn’t know very well. She’s never quite sure she has met
them before. |
| DRAW A
BLANK |
|
|
|
DRAW THE LINE AT (SOMETHING) |
to not allow something beyond a certain acceptable point
The expression suggests the idea of drawing a line to mark
an outer limit. |
1. Their parents let them go out on weekend nights, but they
draw the line at letting them go out on school nights.
2. You may buy a car with your savings, but not a
motorcycle. I’m going to draw the line at that. |
|
DRESSED TO KILL |
dressed to make a strong impression, usually in fancy or
stylish clothes |
1. I was very embarrassed when I walked into the party
thinking it was informal and found that everyone except me
was dressed to kill.
2. Marjorie wanted to make a lasting impression on John.
When he arrived to take her out, she was dressed to kill. |
| DROP IN
THE BUCKET, A |
an extremely small amount compared to the whole, usually
much less than what is needed or wanted |
1. We need to raise over one million dollars to fund the new
Center for AIDS Research. The thousand dollars we have
already collected is just a drop in the bucket.
2. What he paid me is only a drop in the bucket compared to
what he owes me. |
| drop
the ball |
|
|
| DRUM
(SOMEONE)/GET DRUMMED OUT OF THE CORPS |
to expel someone from a group or organization
The expression originates from a military setting where,
when someone left the corps in disgrace, he or she was
escorted out with a drum roll. Its usage includes any group
and carries with it a sense of disgrace or rejection. |
1. If I suggested to the boss that the company pay for the
Christmas party, he’d probably fire me. I’d get drummed out
of the corps.
2. When Henry recommended that the men’s club should admit
women as members, they drummed him out of the corps. |
| DUTCH
TREAT {GO DUTCH} |
each person pays for himself or herself; to share the cost
Antonym: treat
Whereas the basic expression treat means to pay for someone
else, Dutch treat means that no one is treating. Dutch treat
is often used in spoken English; in formal, written English,
one often sees an expression like “no-host lunch” to
indicate that each person pays for his or her own meal. |
1. Larry didn’t have enough money to pay for both his and
Mary’s dinner, so they went Dutch treat.
2. When I go out to lunch with my colleagues at work, each
of us pays for herself. We go Dutch. |
| DYED
IN THE WOOL |
having a trait that is thoroughly ingrained or basic to
one’s nature |
1. Ron and Ted love baseball. They know all the players on
every team and all the statistics about each one. They are
dyed-in-the-wool baseball fans.
2. No one works harder than Ann for the protection of the
environment and wildlife. She is dyed in the wool as far as
conservation goes. |
