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English Idioms: D

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English Idio m s: 175 e nt rie s be ginning wit h 'D'

Dino saur

A d ino saur is a p e rso n who is tho ug ht to b e to o o ld fo r the ir p o sitio n.

Dip yo ur to e s in the wate r

If yo u d ip yo ur to e s in the wate r, yo u try so me thing te ntative ly b e cause yo u are no t sure whe the r it will wo rk o r no t.

Dirty d o g

A d irty d o g is an untrustwo rthy p e rso n.

Disce rning e ye

If a p e rso n has a d isce rning e ye , the y are p articularly g o o d at jud g ing the q uality o f so me thing .

Discre tio n is the b e tte r p art o f valo ur

This id io m me ans that it is o fte n b e tte r to think care fully and no t act than to d o so me thing that may cause p ro b le ms.

Dish the d irt

If yo u d ish the d irt o n so me thing o r so me o ne , yo u make unp le asant o r sho cking info rmatio n p ub lic.

Do a De vo n Lo ch

(UK) If so me o ne d o e s a De vo n Lo ch, the y fail whe n the y we re ve ry clo se to winning . De vo n Lo ch was a ho rse that co llap se d just
sho rt o f the winning line o f the G rand Natio nal race .

Do a Lo rd Lucan

(UK) If so me o ne d isap p e ars witho ut a trace o r runs o ff, the y d o a Lo rd Lucan. (Lo rd Lucan d isap p e are d afte r a murd e r)

Do a runne r

(UK) If p e o p le le ave a re staurant witho ut p aying , the y d o a runne r.

Do as yo u wo uld b e d o ne b y

Tre at and re sp e ct o the rs as yo u wo uld ho p e to b e re sp e cte d and tre ate d b y the m.

Do the ne e d ful

(Ind ia) If yo u d o the ne e d ful, yo u d o what is ne ce ssary.

Do the running

(UK) The p e rso n who has to d o the running has to make sure that thing s g e t d o ne . ('Make the running ' is also use d .)

Do the trick

If so me thing d o e s the trick, it is was is ne e d e d o r has the ne ce ssary e ffe ct.

Do the ir d irty wo rk

So me o ne who d o e s so me o ne 's d irty wo rk, carrie s o ut the unp le asant jo b s that the first p e rso n d o e sn't want to d o . So me o ne who
se e ms to e njo y d o ing this is so me time s kno wn as a 'he nchman'.

Do time

(UK) Whe n so me o ne is d o ing time , the y are in p riso n.

Do 's and d o n't's

The d o 's and d o n't's are what is acce p tab le o r allo we d o r no t within an are a o r issue , e tc.

Do d g e the b ulle t

If so me o ne has d o d g e d a b ulle t, the y have succe ssfully avo id e d a ve ry se rio us p ro b le m.

Do e s a o ne -le g g e d d uck swim in circle s?

(USA) (US So uthe rn) This is a re sp o nse g ive n to an unne ce ssary q ue stio n fo r which the o b vio us answe r is ye s. Examp le : If yo u
we re to ask an O lymp ic arche r whe the r she co uld p ut an arro w in an ap p le at te n yard s, she co uld answe r: " Do e s a o ne -le g g e d
d uck swim in circle s?" ('Do o ne -le g g e d d ucks swim in circle s?' is also use d .)

Do g and p o ny sho w

(USA) A d o g and p o ny sho w is a p re se ntatio n o r so me marke ting that has lo ts o f style , b ut no re al co nte nt.

Do g d ays

Do g d ays are ve ry ho t summe r d ays.

Do g e at d o g

In a d o g e at d o g wo rld , the re is inte nse co mp e titio n and rivalry, whe re e ve ryb o d y thinks o nly o f himse lf o r he rse lf.

Do g in the mang e r

(UK) If so me o ne acts like a d o g in the mang e r, the y d o n't want o the r p e o p le to have o r e njo y thing s that are use le ss to the m.

Do g tire d

If yo u are d o g tire d , yo u are e xhauste d .

Do g 's d inne r

So me thing that is a d o g 's d inne r is a re al me ss.

Do g 's life

If so me has a d o g 's life , the y have a ve ry unfo rtunate and wre tche d life .

Do g -e are d

If a b o o k is d o g -e are d , it is in b ad co nd itio n, with to rn p ag e s, e tc.

Do g -whistle p o litics

(AU) Whe n p o litical p artie s have p o licie s that will ap p e al to racists while no t b e ing o ve rtly racist, the y are ind ulg ing in d o g -whistle
p o litics.

Do g g y b ag

If yo u ask fo r a d o g g y b ag in a re staurant, the y will p ack the fo o d yo u have n't e ate n fo r yo u to take ho me .

Do ld rums

If a p e rso n is in the d o ld rums, the y are d e p re sse d . If a p ro je ct o r so me thing similar is in the d o ld rums, it isn't making any
p ro g re ss.

Do llars fo r d o ug hnuts

(USA) If so me thing is d o llars fo r d o ug hnuts, it is a sure b e t o r ce rtainty.

Do n't b ite the hand that fe e d s

Whe n so me o ne says this to yo u, the y are trying to te ll yo u no t to act ag ainst tho se o n who m yo u d e p e nd .

Do n't catch yo ur chicke ns b e fo re the y're hatche d

This me ans that yo u sho uld wait until yo u kno w whe the r so me thing has p ro d uce d the re sults yo u d e sire , rathe r than acting
b e fo re hand . ('Do n't co unt yo ur chicke ns until the y've hatche d ' is an alte rnative .)

Do n't cry o ve r sp ilt milk

Whe n so me thing b ad hap p e ns and no thing can b e d o ne to he lp it p e o p le say, 'Do n't cry o ve r sp ilt milk'.

Do n't g ive up the d ay jo b

This id io m is use d a way o f te lling so me thing that the y d o so me thing b ad ly.

Do n't ho ld yo ur b re ath

If yo u are to ld no t to ho ld yo ur b re ath, it me ans that yo u sho uld n't have hig h e xp e ctatio ns ab o ut so me thing .

Do n't jud g e a b o o k b y the co ve r

This id io m me ans that yo u sho uld no t jud g e so me thing o r so me o ne b y ap p e arance s, b ut sho uld lo o k d e e p e r at what is insid e
and mo re imp o rtant.

Do n't kno w whe the r to wind a watch o r b ark at the mo o n

If yo u d o n't kno w what to d o , yo u d o n't kno w whe the r to wind a watch o r b ark at the mo o n.

Do n't lo o k a g ift ho rse in the mo uth

This me ans that if yo u are g ive n so me thing , a p re se nt o r a chance , yo u sho uld no t waste it b y b e ing to o critical o r e xamining it
to o clo se ly.

Do n't me ntio n it

This is use d as a re sp o nse to b e ing thanke d , sug g e sting that the he lp g ive n was no tro ub le .

Do n't me ntio n the war

This me ans that yo u sho uld n't sp e ak ab o ut thing s that co uld cause an arg ume nt o r te nsio n. This id io m was use d in a classic
e p iso d e o f the much-lo ve d British co me d y se rie s Fawlty To we rs. As a co nse q ue nce if yo u use this p hrase in Britain, liste ne rs will
und e rstand yo u to b e re fe rring to G e rmans, o r just start laug hing .

Do n't p ush my b utto ns!

This can b e said to so me o ne who is starting to anno y yo u.

Do n't sho o t the me sse ng e r

This p hrase can b e use d whe n b re aking so me b ad ne ws to so me o ne and yo u d o n't want to b e b lame d fo r the ne ws. ('Do n't kill
the me sse ng e r' is also use d .)

Do n't stand the re with curle rs in yo ur hair

This me ans 'd o n't ke e p me waiting '. It's said to so me o ne who is taking to o lo ng to g e t mo ving .

Do n't sto p and kick at e ve ry d o g that b arks at yo u

(USA) If we sto p to kick at e ve ry d o g that b arks at us we will ne ve r arrive at o ur d e stinatio n in life , b e cause we are o b se sse d with
rig hting insig nifig ant wro ng s that sho uld have no mo re e ffe ct o n us the n a d o g that b arks as we walk b y.

Do n't swe at the small stuff

(USA) This is use d to te ll p e o p le no t to wo rry ab o ut trivial o r unimp o rtant issue s.

Do n't take any wo o d e n nicke ls

(USA) This id io m is use d to ad vise p e o p le no t to b e che ate d o r rip p e d o ff.

Do n't thro w b ricks whe n yo u live in a g lass ho use

Do n't call o the rs o ut o n actio ns that yo u, yo urse lf d o . Do n't b e a hyp o crite .

Do n't tro ub le tro ub le until tro ub le tro ub le s yo u

Do n't g o lo o king fo r tro ub le o r p ro b le ms- le t the m co me to yo u.

Do n't up se t the ap p le cart

If yo u are ad vise d no t to up se t the ap p le cart, yo u are b e ing to ld no t to d isturb the way thing s are d o ne b e cause it mig ht ruin
thing s.

Do n't wash yo ur d irty laund ry in p ub lic

(UK) Pe o p le , e sp e cially co up le s, who arg ue in fro nt o f o the rs o r invo lve o the rs in the ir p e rso nal p ro b le ms and crise s, are said
to b e washing the ir d irty laund ry in p ub lic; making p ub lic thing s that are b e st le ft p rivate . (In Ame rican Eng lish, 'd o n't air yo ur d irty
laund ry in p ub lic' is use d .)

Sugge st an Idiom

Se arch

Ple ase No te

Ple ase no te that the se d atab ase s co ve r co llo q uial lang uag e and co ntain so me te rms that d e al with vulg ar and tab o o sub je cts. Yo u can
o p t to filte r-o ut e xp licit co nte nt o n yo ur

p re fe re nce s

p ag e .

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