English idioms and idiomatic expressions

	Idiom	Meaning
D	Dab hand at something	If you're a dab hand at something, you're very good at doing it. "Why don't you call Suzy? She's a dab hand at organizing barbecues."
	Dance attendance (on somebody)	If you dance attendance on someone, you are constantly available for that person and attend to their wishes. "She's rich and famous and expects everyone to dance attendance on her."
	Dance to someone's tune	If you dance to someone's tune, you do whatever that person tells you to do. "He is the company's major shareholder so the management has to dance to his tune."
	In the dark	If someone is kept or left in the dark about something, they are not informed about it . "The personnel were kept in the dark about the merger until the last minute."
	Darken someone's door	If you darken someone's door, you come as an unwanted or unwelcome visitor. "Just get out of here, and never darken my door again!"
	Call it a day.	A person who decides to "call it a day" decides to stop doing finish doing something, generally because they are tired.
	A day late and a dollar short	If something is a day late and a dollar short, it comes too late and is not good enough. "They offered me an internship when I'd already found a job - a day late and a dollar short!"
	Daylight robbery (also: highway robbery)	The term 'daylight robbery' is used when the price of something is thought to be much too high. "$10 for an orange juice? That's daylight robbery!"
	Dead as a dodo	To say that something is (as) dead as a dodo means that it is without doubt dead or obsolete, or has gone out of fashion. (The dodo is a bird that is now extinct.) "The floppy disk is an invention that is now (as) dead as a dodo."
	Dead as a doornail	This expression is used to stress that a person or thing is unquestionably dead. "They've started fighting again, so the peace agreement is now dead as a doornail."
	Dead duck	This expression refers to a project or scheme which has been abandoned or is certain to fail. "The new cinema is going to be a dead duck because it's too far away from the town centre."
	Dead loss	Someone or something described as a dead loss is absolutely useless or a complete failure. "When it comes to gardening, my brother is a dead loss."
	Dead set against something	If you are dead set against something, you are strongly opposed to it. "My father wanted a dog, but my mother was dead set against the idea."
	Dead wood	The term dead wood refers to people or things which are no longer considered useful or necessary. "The new manager wants to reduce costs by cutting out the dead wood."
	Dead to the world	A person who is dead to the world is fast asleep. "Don't worry. You won't disturb him. He's dead to the world!"
	Wouldn't be caught/seen dead	If someone says that they wouldn't be caught or seen dead in a particular place or doing something, they mean that they would be too ashamed or embarrassed. "My seven-year-old son thinks he's a big boy; he wouldn't be caught dead holding my hand!"
	Deaf ear	If you turn a deaf ear to something, you refuse to listen. "Sandy turned a deaf ear to the guide's advice and got lost in the mountains."
	A raw deal	If you say that someone has got a raw deal, you think they have been treated unfairly or badly.
	Deck out	If you deck out someone or something, you dress or decorate them in a special way. "Paul decked out his car for the wedding."
	Off the deep end	A person who goes off the deep end becomes suddenly very angry or emotional.
	Deliver the goods	If a person delivers the goods, they do what is expected of them or what they have promised to do. "Let's hope that new whiz-kid the boss hired can deliver the goods!"
	Out of your depth	If you are out of your depth, it means you are in a situation which is too difficult for you, or which you know little about.
	Devil's advocate	During a discussion or debate, if you play devil's advocate, you pretend to be against an idea or plan in order to determine the validity of the arguments in favour of it. "She decided to play devil's advocate just to see how strongly people felt about the project."
	The devil is in the details	This expression refers to a task or a job which appears simple but is in fact more difficult to accomplish. "Framing a picture looks easy but the devil is in the details!"
	The devil makes work for idle hands	This expression means that people who do not have enough to do are often tempted to do something wrong. "It's not good for kids to have nothing to do at the week-end - the devil makes work for idle hands!"
	The devil take the hindmost	This expression means that you should think of yourself and not worry about other people. "When the boat capsized it was a case of 'the devil take the hindmost', but luckily they all survived."
	Speak of the devil!	This is said to refer to a person who appears just when his/her name is mentioned. "Speak of the devil! We were just talking about your invitation!"
	The dice are loaded	If everything seems to work to your disadvantage and you are not likely to succeed, you can say that the dice are loaded against you. "I applied for the job, but being a woman, and over forty, the dice were loaded against me."
	Dice with death	If you put your life at risk by doing something very dangerous, you dice with death. "Going mountain-climbing alone is dicing with death."
	The die is cast	To say that the die is cast means that an irrevocable decision has been made which will determine the future. "I've handed in my resignation so now the die is cast!"
	Die with one's boots on	A person who dies with their boots on dies while still leading an active life. "He says he'll never retire. He'd rather die with his boots on!"
	A different kettle of fish	To describe a person, thing or situation as a different kettle of fish means that it is completely different from what was previously mentioned. "You may have good business relations, but living in the country is a different kettle of fish."
	Dig in your heels	If you dig in your heels, you refuse to do something, especially if someone is trying to convince you to do so. "My grandfather dug in his heels and refused to move to an apartment."
	Dig one's own grave	A person who digs their own grave does something which causes their own downfall. "If you drop out of college now, with such high unemployment, you'll be digging your own grave!"
	Dim view	If you take a dim view of something, you dislike or disapprove of it. "My previous boss took a dim view of wearing casual wear to work."
	(In) dire straits	If a person or organization is in dire straits, they are in a very difficult situation. "The loss of major contracts has put the company in dire straits."
	Wash your dirty linen in public.	To wash one's dirty linen in public means to talk about unpleasant personal matters in the presence of others.
	Do someone's dirty work	To do someone's dirty work means to do the unpleasant or difficult work that the other person does not want to do.
	Disappear into thin air	If someone or something disappears into thin air, they vanish in a mysterious way. "After being accused of embezzlement, the director disappeared into thin air."
	Disaster written all over it	If something, such as a plan or idea, has disaster written all over it, it is thought to be heading for complete failure or will cause a lot of trouble. "Mary's idea of a holiday with her in-laws has disaster written all over it!"
	Do a double take	Someone who does a double take looks again in surprise at something unexpected. "He did a double take when he saw his wife in a restaurant with another man."
	Do a disappearing act	If someone does a disappearing act, they simply vanish, especially if they have done something wrong or dishonest. "Just before the police arrived, the suspect did a disappearing act."
	Do more harm than good	If the effect of an action is more damaging than helpful, it does more harm than good." "Giving him money did more harm than good - he spent it on alcohol."
	Do nothing by halves	When a person does everything they are engaged in completely and thoroughly, they are said to do nothing by halves. "When she cooks, it's a four-course meal - she does nothing by halves!"
	Do someone a good turn	If you do someone a good turn, you act in a helpful way. "Mike is a great guy - always ready to do a good turn."
	Do someone's dirty work	To do someone's dirty work means to do the unpleasant or difficult work that the other person does not want to do.
	Do the spadework	Someone who does the spadework does the preparatory work or the preliminary research for something. "Although I did all the spadework, my name was never mentioned."
	Do the trick	If something does the trick, it does exactly what is needed or achieves the desired effect. "Another coat of paint should do the trick."
	Dog's life	People use this expression when complaining about a situation or job which they find unpleasant or unsatisfactory. "It's a dog's life working in the after-sales department."
	Dog eat dog	This expression refers to intense competition and rivalry in pursuit of one's own interests, with no concern for morality. "The business world is tough today. There's a general dog-eat-dog attitude."
	A dog in the manger	A person referred to as a dog in the manger is someone who stops others enjoying something he/she cannot use or doesn't want. "Bob's a real dog in the manger; he's not free to play golf but he won't lend his golf clubs to anyone."
	Every dog has its day	This expression means that everyone can be successful at something at some time in their life. "I didn't win this time, but I'll be lucky one day. Every dog has its day!"
	Give a dog a bad name	People who lose their reputation have difficulty regaining it because others continue to blame or suspect them. "Tom was suspected as usual. Give a dog a bad name!"
	Go to the dogs	To say that a company, organization or country is going to the dogs means that it is becoming less successful or efficient than before. "Some think the company will go to the dogs if it is nationalized."
	Let sleeping dogs lie	If you tell somebody to let sleeping dogs lie, you are asking them not to interfere with a situation because they could cause problems. "Look - they've settled their differences. It's time to let sleeping dogs lie."
	My dogs are barking	When a person says that their dogs are barking they mean that their feet are hurting. "I've been shopping all day. My dogs are barking."
	Why keep a dog and bark yourself?	This expression means that if someone can do a task for you, there's no reason to do it yourself. "The shuttle stops in front of our house but my father continues to drive to the airport. Why keep a dog and bark yourself!"
	Dog and pony show	A dog and pony show is a marketing event or presentation which has plenty of style but not much content.
	In the doghouse	If you are in the doghouse, somebody is angry with you because you have done something wrong. "Mark is in the doghouse because he damaged his father's car."
	In the doldrums	To say that a person, a business or the economy in general is in the doldrums means that the situation is gloomy and that nothing new is happening. "Despite the recent measures, the economy remains in the doldrums."
	On the dole	A person who is receives financial assistance from the government when they are unemployed is on the dole. "Their father is on the dole so the family is living on a tight budget."
	A done deal	This expression is used to refer to an agreement or decision which has been reached on a certain matter. "We're still considering several proposals, so it's not a done deal yet."
	Done and dusted	When a project, task or activity is done and dusted, it is completely finished or ready. "I've nearly finished preparing the presentation. When it's all done and dusted I'll be able to relax."
	The done thing	The correct way to behave in a particular social situation is called the done thing. "Wearing jeans to play golf is not the done thing."
	Donkey work	This expression is used to describe the unpleasant, boring parts of a job. "I do the donkey work - my boss gets the credit!"
	Doom and gloom	A general atmosphere of pessimism, and a feeling that the situation is not going to improve, is referred to as doom and gloom. "Fortunately it's not doom and gloom for all businesses, in spite of the economic situation."
	Beyond a shadow of a doubt	This expression is used to express absolute certainty about something. "There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in our minds about Susan's sincerity."
	Doubting Thomas	A 'doubting Thomas' is as person who will not believe something without proof, or without seeing it for themselves. "Believe me - it's a one-way street now. Don't be such a doubting Thomas!"
	Down at heel	A person who is down-at-heel is someone whose appearance is untidy or neglected because of lack of money. "The down-at-heel student I first met became a successful writer."
	Down in the dumps	Someone who is down in the dumps is depressed or feeling gloomy. "Alex has been down in the dumps since he failed his exam."
	Down the drain	To say that money, time or effort has gone down the drain, means that it has been wasted or lost. "His years of research went down the drain when the company went bankrupt."
	Down in the mouth	When someone is down in the mouth, they look unhappy, discouraged or depressed. "You look a bit down in the mouth. What's the matter?"
	Down payment	When someone makes a down payment, they pay a part of the total amount agreed when signing a purchase deal or contract. "Emma and Paul are excited. They put a down payment on their first house yesterday."
	Down to earth	Someone who is down to earth is not a dreamer but a realistic and practical person who has sensible reactions and expectations. "Don't ask Suzy for help. She's fun, but not very down to earth."
	All downhill/downhill all the way	If something is all downhill or downhill all the way, it is very easy compared to the difficulties encountered beforehand. "The hardest part for the burglars was turning off the alarm system. After that it was all downhill."
	Go downhill	When something goes downhill it deteriorates or gets worse little by little. "The restaurant has been going downhill since the arrival of the new owner."
	Drag one's feet	If you drag your feet, you delay a decision or participate without any real enthusiasm. "The government is dragging its feet on measures to reduce pollution."
	Drastic times call for drastic measures	When faced with a difficult situation, it is sometimes necessary to take actions which in normal circumstances would appear extreme. "After Johnny's third accident, his father confiscated his car. Drastic times call for drastic measures!"
	Draw a blank	If you look for or try to remember something, and draw a blank, you fail to find what you are looking for.
	Draw the line	If you decide to draw the line, you decide when an activity or situation becomes unacceptable. "When a person's private life is concerned, the media should know where to draw the line."
	Draw a line in the sand	If you draw a line in the sand, you establish a limit beyond which a certain situation or activity will not be accepted. "That's it! We're going to draw a line in the sand and make this our final proposal."
	Dream ticket	If you refer to two people as a dream ticket, you think they would work well together and be successful. "Clinton and Obama teaming up for the general election would be a dream ticket for many Democrats."
	Dressed to kill	When someone, especially a woman, is dressed to kill, they are wearing very fashionable or glamorous clothes intended to attract attention. "She arrived at the reception dressed to kill."
	Dressed up to the nines	To describe someone as dressed up to the nines means that they are wearing very smart or glamorous clothes. "Caroline musts be going to a party - she's dressed up to the nines!"
	In dribs and drabs	If something comes in dribs and drabs, it arrives little by little, in small amounts or numbers. "Instead of the crowd that was expected, people arrived in dribs and drabs."
	Drink like a fish	A person who drinks like a fish is a heavy drinker or one who drinks a lot. 'I'm nervous if Joe drives when we go out because he drinks like a fish!"
	Drive a hard bargain	A person who drives a hard bargain always makes sure they gain advantage in a business deal. "Be prepared for tough negotiations with Stuart - he drives a bard bargain."
	Drive up the wall	If somebody or something drives you up the wall, they do something that greatly annoys or irritates you. "I can't concentrate with all the noise - it's driving me up the wall!"
	Drop a bombshell	If someone makes an unexpected or shattering announcement, they drop a bombshell. "Her new husband dropped a bombshell when he announced that he was already the father of three children!"
	Drop like flies	If people drop like flies, they fall ill or die in large numbers. "There's an epidemic of flu at the moment. Senior citizens are dropping like flies."
	At the drop of a hat	If you do something at the drop of a hat, you do it immediately and without hesitation "I've got great friends. They're ready to help out at the drop of a hat."
	Drop names (name-dropping)	When you drop names, you mention the names of famous people you know or have met in order to impress others. "There goes Jack dropping names again. People will soon get tired of listening to him!"
	A drop in the ocean	To refer to an amount as a drop in the ocean means that it is very small compared to the amount needed or expected. "The revenue from the proposed tax reform is a drop in the ocean compared to the deficit."
	A sitting duck	A sitting duck is an easy target, a person who is easy to deceive. "The young girl was a sitting duck for the photographer."
	Dull as ditchwater (also : dull as dishwater)	To refer to something as being as dull as ditchwater means that it is very boring. "The film was a dull at ditchwater. I nearly fell asleep."
	Dumbing down	If something, such as a television programme or a film production, is dumbed down, it is deliberately made less intelligent or less demanding, in order to attract a larger audience. "Some TV channels are dumbing down their programmes in an attempt to increase their audience ratings."
	Hit the dust	The expression hit the dust is a humorous way of referring to death.
	The dust has settled	To say that the dust has settled means that the situation has become calmer after a series of unpleasant or chaotic events. "After her difficult divorce, she waited until the dust had settled before making any plans."
	Go Dutch	To go Dutch with somebody means to share the cost of something such as a meal or a concert.
	Above and beyond the call of duty	If a person does something which is above and beyond the call of duty, they show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job. "The fire-fighter received a medal for his action which went above and beyond the call of duty."
	Dwell on something	If someone dwells on something, they think or talk about it all the time. "My mother-in-law has health problems, but I wish she wouldn't always dwell on the subject."
	Dyed-in-the-wool	This expression is used to describe a person who has fixed, uncompromising, deep-felt beliefs to which they are committed. "Bob and Jane are dyed-in-the-wool ecologists who use only biodegradable products."
	To be dying for something	If you are dying for something, you have a strong desire for it. "I'm dying for a cup of tea!"