English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Daft as a brush

(UK) Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.

Damp squib

(UK) If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn't, it is a damp squib.

Dancing on someone's grave

If you will dance on someone's grave, you will outlive or outlast them and will celebrate their demise.

Dark horse

If someone is a dark horse, they are a bit of a mystery and we don't know how they will react or perform.

Davey Jones' locker

Davey Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea or resting place of drowned sailors.('Davy Jones' locker' is an alternative spelling.)

Day in the sun

If you have your day in the sun, you get attention and are appreciated.

Daylight robbery

If you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery; open, unfair and hard to prevent. Rip-off has a similar meaning.

Days are numbered

When someone’s days are numbered, they are expected to die soon.

Dead air

When there is a period of total silence, there is dead air.

Dead and buried

If something is dead and buried, it has all long been settled and is not going to be reconsidered.

Dead as a dodo

If something's dead as a dodo, it is lifeless and dull. The dodo was a bird that lived the island of Mauritius. It couldn't fly and was hunted to extinction.

Dead as a doornail

This is used to indicate that something is lifeless.

Dead duck

Someone or something is bound to fail or die is a dead duck.

Dead even

If people competing are dead even, they are at exactly the same stage or moving at exactly the same speed.

Dead from the neck up

Someone who's dead from the neck up is very stupid indeed.

Dead heat

If a race ends in a dead heat, two or more finish with exactly the same result.

Dead in the water

If something is dead in the water, it isn't going anywhere or making any progress.

Dead level best

If you try your dead level best,  you try as hard as you possibly could to do something.

Dead man walking

A dead man walking is someone who is in great trouble and will certainly get punished, lose their job or position, etc, soon.

Dead meat

This is used as a way of threatening someone: You'll be dead meat if you don't go along.

Dead men's shoes

If promotion or success requires replacing somebody, then it can only be reached by dead men's shoes' by getting rid of them.

Dead right

This means that something or someone is absolutely correct, without doubt.

Dead to the world

If somebody's fast asleep and completely unaware of what if happening around them, he or she's dead to the world.

Dead wrong

If someone is dead wrong, they are absolutely in error, absolutely incorrect or of incorrect opinion.

Deaf as a post

Someone who is as deaf as a post is unable to hear at all.

Dear John letter

A letter written by a partner explaining why they are ending the relationship is a Dear John letter.

Death of a thousand cuts

If something is suffering the death of a thousand cuts, or death by a thousand cuts, lots of small bad things are happening, none of which are fatal in themselves, but which add up to a slow and painful demise.

Death warmed up

(UK) If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed. ('death warmed over' is the American form)

Decorate the mahogany

(USA) When someone buys a round a pub or bar, they decorate the mahogany; putting cash on the bar.

Deep pockets

If someone has deep pockets, they are wealthy.

Deep pockets but short arms

Someone who has money but never puts his hand in his pocket to pay for anything has deep pockets but short arms.

Deer in the headlights

When one is caught offguard and needs to make a decision, but cannot react quickly.

Deliver the goods

Do what is required, come up to expectations. For example, Kate delivered the goods and got us the five votes we needed. This phrase alludes to delivering an order of groceries or other items. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]

Demon weed

Tobacco is the demon weed.

Derring-do

If a person shows derring-do, they show great courage.

Devil finds work for idle hands

When people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean that if people don't have anything to do with their time, they are more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality.

Devil is in the detail

When people say that the devil in the detail, they mean that small things in plans and schemes that are often overlooked can cause serious problems later on.

Devil may care

If you live a devil-may-care life it means you are willing to take more risks than most people.

Devil's advocate

If someone plays Devil's advocate in an argument, they adopt a position they don't believe in just for the sake of the argument

Diamond in the rough

A diamond in the rough is someone or something that has great potential, but isn't not refined and polished.

Dice with death

If you do something that is very dangerous, you are dicing with death.

Die is cast

If the die is cast, a decision has been made that cannot be altered and fate will decide the consequences.

Different kettle of fish

If something is a different kettle of fish, it is very different from the other things referenced.

Different ropes for different folks

(USA) This idiom means that different people do things in different ways that suit them.

Different strokes for different folks

(USA) This idiom means that different people do things in different ways that suit them.

Dig way down deep

When someone digs way down deep, they look into their inner feelings to see how they feel about it.

Dig your heels in

If you dig your heels in, you start to resist something.

Dime a dozen

(USA) If something is a dime a dozen, it is extremely common, possibly too common.

Dine on ashes

I someone is dining on ashes he or she is excessively focusing attention on failures or regrets for past actions. 

Dinosaur

A dinosaur is a person who is thought to be too old for their position.

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