D................................................. .................................
dance to a different tune
- talk or act differently (usually better) because things have changed
He has begun dancing to a different tune now that he knows that his head salesman is thinking of quitting.
dark horse
- a candidate little known to the general public
At first he was a dark horse candidate but he later won the election.
dash off
- do or finish quickly, leave quickly
I will dash off a letter now but then I must go to work.
Dawn on
- become clear
It finally dawned on me as to why he was angry.
Day and night
- Continually
We worked day and night to finish the project before the end of the month.
- Regularly, all the time
He goes to that restaurant day in and day out and never gets tired of it.
Dead ahead
- Exactly in front, before
There was a truck dead ahead so we put on the car brakes suddenly.
Dead as a doornail
- Very dead
The man was dead as a doornail as we could see after the accident.
- A person who never pays his debts
There is a policy to penalize deadbeat fathers by the local government.
- Exact middle
He was able to hit the target dead center.
Dead duck
- Person or thing in a hopeless situation or condition
He is a dead duck and has no hope of recovering his former position.
Dead end
- The closed end of a road or an impasse
The negotiations between the team and the owners have come to a dead end.
- With an expressionless or emotionless face
He had a deadpan expression when he told us the story.
- determined not to do something
They are dead set against their son going to Europe for a year.
- Very tired, exhausted
I was dead tired so I went to bed as soon as I got home.
- Fast asleep
The little boy was dead to the world when his father took him out of the car.
- dressed in fancy clothes
She was all decked out in her best clothes for the party.
- throw away, dispose of
I decided to deep-six the videos as I didn’t want them any longer.
- Serious trouble or difficulty
He will be in deep water if he doesn’t tell us where he spent the money.
Deliver the goods
- succeed in doing what is expected well
He is the best manager that we have ever had. He knows how to deliver the goods.
- Unworried, not caring what happens
He has a devil-may-care attitude to his job and nothing ever bothers him.
Die down
- come slowly to an end, grow weaker
When the sound of the music finally died down we were able to get to sleep.
Die off
- die one after another until the number is small
The house plants began to die off as soon as he moved to a new apartment.
Die out
- die or disappear slowly until all gone
Dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.
Dig in
- begin eating
Let’s dig in and eat before everything is cold!
Dime a dozen
- Common, easy to get and of little value
Used books are a dime a dozen so don’t worry if you can’t sell them.
Dirty look
- A look that shows dislike or disapproval
His mother gave him a dirty look when he smoked the cigarette.
Dish out
- serve food from a large bowl or plate
He began to dish out the food as soon as the guests arrived.
Dish out
- treat or criticize roughly
He likes to dish out criticism to others but he doesn’t like to hear criticism about himself.
Do a double take
- look again in surprise at someone or something
She did a double take when she saw her old boyfriend with another woman.
Do a job on
- do harm to, make ugly or useless
He really did a job on the plans for the new house that he was working on.
Do away with
- put an end to, stop, and get rid of
The company has decided to do away with having fixed holidays every year.
Dog-eat-dog
- Ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what you want
It is a dog-eat-dog world out in the world of advertising and public relations.
Do in
- To ruin, destroy
He quickly did in the new shoes that he received for his birthday.
Do in
- To make tired, exhaust
He was really done in by the time that he finished the marathon.
Doll up
- Dress in fancy clothes
She was all dolled up for the party at the downtown hotel.
Done for
- Ruined, defeated, dying
I think that the team is done for as far as this season is concerned.
Done with
- be finished using something
He was finally done with the computer and so he let his sister use it.
Do one’s best
- try to do something as well as you can
I tried to do my best on the exam.
Do one’s bit (part)
- Share in a group project by contributing one’s time and effort
He did his bit for the planning of the party.
Do one’s thing
- do what one wants to do and enjoys
He is an individualist and enjoys doing his thing when and where he chooses.
Do-or-die
- make a great effort while disregarding danger
He was in a position of do-or-die when he finally found another job.
Do out of
- cause to lose by trickery or cheating
He was worried that the company would do him out of the large bonus that he was expecting.
Do someone good
- be good or beneficial for someone
It will do you good to go on a holiday.
Do something rash
- take drastic action (usually without thinking)
She is extremely angry so I hope that she doesn’t do anything rash.
Do the honors
- perform the duty of a host (when serving a drink etc.)
Would you like to do the honors and pour everyone a glass of wine?
Do the trick
- work well, achieve a good result
I think the new piece of equipment should do the trick and solve the problem.
Do time
- spend time in prison
He was doing time when I first heard about him.
Do with
- benefit from
I have been working hard all day so now I could do with a cold drink.
Do with
- be acquainted, involved or associated with
I don’t have anything to do with the party this year.
Do without
- manage without something
If there is no sugar, we’ll have to do without.
Double back
- turn back from where you are going or have been
We decided to double back from the arena to get some money to go to a movie.
Double-check
- check again to be sure something is correct
He double-checked the price of the airplane ticket.
Double-cross
- deceive, promise one thing and do another
He tried to double-cross his partner but was caught and sent to jail.
Double-talk
- Talk that appears to have meaning but does not
He gave the audience a lot of double-talk so nobody knew what he wanted to say.
Double up
- share a room or home with someone
The passengers had to double up in hotel rooms when the plane was delayed because of the weather.
Down and out
- have no money
He has been down and out before but he has always been able to find a job eventually.
Down in the dumps
- Unhappy
She has been really down in the dumps since her boyfriend moved away.
Down on (someone)
- be critical of someone, angry at
She is really down on her friend but I don’t really know the reason.
Down one’s alley
- suited to one’s tastes and abilities
Computers are down his alley so I am sure that he will be interested in taking the job.
Down the line
- Straight ahead, in future
There will be many changes at this company down the line but for now your job is safe.
Down the drain
- wasted or lost
He is just throwing money down the drain when he goes to the horse races.
Down-to-earth
- Sensible and practical
Her mother is a very down-to-earth person.
Down to the wire
- nearing a deadline, running out of time
We went right down to the wire but we were able to finish the job on time.
Do wonders
- produce excellent results
If you begin to do some exercise it will do wonders for your health.
Drag in
- insist on bringing another subject into a discussion
He always drags in his personal problems when we are talking about his performance on the job.
Drag on
- pass very slowly, make longer
The speech seemed to drag on and on so finally we decided to leave early.
Drag one’s feet/heels
- act slowly or reluctantly
He has been dragging his feet about whether or not to take the job.
Draw a blank
- obtain nothing in return for an effort made, get a negative result
He drew a blank when he went to the head office to try and receive some information about the merger.
Draw fire
- receive criticism or argument
He has been drawing a lot of fire since he announced that he would not play basketball another year.
Draw fire
- be a target, attract or provoke shooting
The soldiers drew fire when they entered the small village.
Draw in one’s horns
- spend less money
Their company is not doing well so they will have to draw in their horns for awhile.
Draw (someone) out
- make a person talk or tell something
She was very quiet but we finally were able to draw her out so that she would join the party.
Draw the line
- set a limit
We have to draw the line somewhere in regards to the costs of the party.
Draw up
- put in writing
They were able to draw up the new contract while we were waiting.
Dressed to kill
- wear one’s finest clothes
She was dressed to kill when I saw her at the concert last week.
Dressed to the nines (teeth)
- dressed elegantly
The stars were all dressed to the nines during the Academy Awards ceremony.
Dress up
- put on one’s best clothes
He decided to dress up for dinner at the restaurant.
Drive a hard bargain
- conclude a bargain without making any concessions
Although he drives a hard bargain I like doing business with him.
Drive at
- try or want to say something
I don’t know what he was driving at in his speech.
Drive someone up a wall
- irritate or annoy someone greatly
His constant complaining is driving me up a wall.
Drop a hint
- Casually utter a hint or suggestion
He dropped a hint that he wanted to transfer to a new department.
Drop (someone) a line
- write or mail a note or letter to someone
She promised that she would drop me a line when she gets to Singapore.
Drop back
- Move or step backwards, retreat
During the hike his foot began to get sore so he decided to drop back and rest for awhile.
Drop by
- To visit someone or somewhere
He dropped by after work for a drink.
Drop by the wayside
- give up or fail before the finish
Many runners dropped by the wayside as the marathon continued.
Drop dead!
- go away and be quiet, stop bothering someone
I told him to drop dead when he came into my room and now he is angry at me.
Drop in
- make a short or unplanned visit
I decided to drop in and visit my friend after I finished work for the day.
Drop in the bucket
- Small amount
The money he paid back was only a drop in the bucket compared to what he owes.
Drop out (of school)
- quit school or a course of some kind
She dropped out of the class after three months.
Drown one’s sorrows
- drink alcohol to forget one’s problems
He’s in the bar drowning his sorrows with a beer.
Drown out
- make so much noise that it is impossible to hear
The team captain was drowned out by the cheering fans.
Drum up
- invent, encourage by making an effort
They were able to drum up a lot of business during the summer.
Duck soup
- Easy, effortless
How was the test last week? It was duck soup - no problem at all.
Dumb bunny
- A stupid gullible person
He is a dumb bunny and you never know what he will do next.
Dutch treat
- Meal/movie etc. where each person pays their own way, contribute equally to something
When he goes out with his girlfriend it is always a Dutch treat as he doesn’t have much money.
Dwell on
- think about or talk about something all the time
I wish he wouldn’t always dwell on his personal problems.
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