D
Idioms beginning with "D"
Part of speech, explanation, example sentences, pronunciation
No categories:
Contents of D:
[doctor up] {v. phr.}
To meddle with; adulterate.
You don't have to doctor up this basic salad with a lot of extras as I am trying to lose weight.
[do duty for] {v. phr.}
To substitute for; act in place of.
The bench often does duty for a table.
[doesn't add up to a can of beans] {v. phr.}
To be of little or no value. (Said of plans, ideas, etc.)
"That's a fairly interesting concept you got there, Mike, but the competition is bound to say that it doesn't add up to a can of beans."
[do for] {v.}, {informal}
To cause the death or ruin of; cause to fail. — Used usually in the passive form "done for".
The poor fellow is done for and will die before morning.
Andy's employer always does very well by him.
* /If Jim fails that […]
[dog]
See:
[EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY],
[GO TO THE DOGS],
[HOT DOG],
[LEAD A DOG'S LIFE],
[LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE],
[RAIN CATS AND DOGS].
[dog days] {n. phr.}
The hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (July and August). (The ancient Romans associated this time with the "Dog Star" — Sirius — which becomes visible in the heavens at this time of year.)
* /"The dog days are […]
[dog-eat-dog] (1) {n.}
A way of living in which every person tries to get what he wants for himself no matter how badly or cruelly he must treat others to get it; readiness to do anything to get what you want.
* /In some early frontier towns it was […]
[dog-eat-dog] (2) {adj.}
Ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what you want.
During the California gold rush, men had a dog-eat-dog life.