| Idiom
| Where Used
| Meaning
|
| Da man
| US
| Corruption of "the man" an accomplished, skillful, or clever man (and possibly a woman). Associated with the ritual exchange, "Who da man?" "You/we/he/etc. da man!" and not to be confused with "The Man," which refers to the powers that be.
|
| Dark horse
| Global
| A surprise candidate or competitor; someone who hides their talents or interests. From the metaphor: "He rode in as if on a dark horse in the night" or "No one saw him coming."
|
| Darken someone's door(step)
| UK
| Come unwanted to someone's home. As an imperative, the expression is associated with Victorian melodrama, where someone (usually a young woman or man) is thrown out of the parental home for some misdeed, but it is actually much older. Benjamin Franklin used it in The Busybody (1729): "I am afraid she would resent it so as never to darken my doors again."
|
| A day late and a dollar short
| USA
| Too little, too late
|
| (Your) days are numbered
| Global
| Used to indicate that someone or something will not exist for much longer; also for the purpose of evoking a pessimistic view about the future and/or current state of affairs. Sometimes used as a threat. Originates from the Biblical account of Belshazzar's feast
|
| Dead ahead
| AUS, UK
| Directly in front of the speaker, usually in the context of watercraft e.g. "Look out for the rocks dead ahead!".
|
| Dead and buried
| Global
| A settled issue. Something no longer needing consideration
|
| Dead as a doornail (or dodo)
| Global
| Useless, very distinctly dead. A doornail is the strikeplate for most door knockers. To hold it in place, after it was driven through the door, the pointed end was bent over and buried in the door, to prevent movement. This nail was unrecoverable, so was considered dead to future reclamation, which was apparently common before modern times
|
| Dead heat
| Global
| Two or more competitors finish with the same results; a tie. From racing.
|
| Dead in the water
| Global
| Not going anywhere, not making progress, vulnerable to any attack or to be overtaken.
|
| Dead ringer
| AUS, UK
| Identical e.g. "He's a dead ringer for his brother. - Didn't you know they were identical twins?" See also Spitting image
|
| Dead run
| UK
| To run as fast as possible e.g. "The sentries came at a dead run when they heard the intruders".
|
| Dead-shot/dead-eye
| AUS, UK
| A good marksman; one who has accuracy in hitting chosen targets using firearms or other weapons.
|
| (To be) Dead to X
| Global
| To no longer be of consequence to X, to be considered lost to X. e.g. "My father is dead to me"
|
| Dead to rights
| USA
| Caught in the act ("The police had the burglars dead to rights when they arrived."), or at the mercy of someone ("The cavalry had the fleeing soldiers dead to rights.") 'Bang to rights' is the UK version
|
| Dead to the world
| Global
| Not in touch, unaware of what is happening; asleep
|
| Death of (or by) a thousand cuts
|
| Many injuries, none fatal in themselves, which ultimately add up to a slow and painful demise
|
| (Having) deep pockets
| AUS, UK, USA
| Rich and/or generous
|
| Devil's advocate
| Global
| One who argues a point of view that is not necessarily one's own for the sake of fairness. To play "the devil's advocate" in a debate is to ensure that some attempt was made to hear a side that might otherwise have gone unrepresented
|
| (The) devil finds work for idle hands
| Global
| Someone who cannot be productive in life or work will find crime and trouble instead
|
| (The) devil's in the details
| Global
| When a task sounds simple in concept, but carrying it out proves much more difficult.
|
| (The) die is cast
| Global
| A decision (i.e., throwing or casting a die) is made, the outcome of which (i.e., which side it will land on) is unknown, and cannot be altered (the die cannot be recalled to the hand that threw it) —often implying that fate will decide the consequences (from alea jacta est, Julius Caesar's supposed words on crossing the Rubicon).
|
| Different kettle of fish
| AUS, UK
| Very different from other things referred to in context
|
| A dime a dozen
| Global (orig. & esp. USA)
| Very common and easy to get; very cheap; not special
|
| Dirty look
| Global
| A look of disapproval or malice. Also: A black look.
|
| Does a bear shit in the woods?
| USA
| A sarcastic, rhetorical method of responding to a question whose answer is obviously, "yes." See also: Is the Pope Catholic?
|
| Dog and pony show
| USA
| A presentation which aims to persuade by overwhelming the senses or appealing to fancy; generally a marketing presentation which offers little or no real informational content. May also refer to anything with more style than substance
|
| Dog-eat-dog world
| Global
| Describes intense competition and rivalry
|
| Dog in the manger
| UK
| Someone who denies others the use of a resource, even though they cannot possibly use the resource themselves. From Aesop's fable of the same name, The Dog in the Manger, about a dog preventing cows from eating the straw on which it is lying
|
| Don't hold your breath
| Global
| Keep your expectations low
|
| Don't judge a book by its cover
| Global
| Do not rely solely on looks and appearance when estimating the value of a person or thing
|
| Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
| Global
| Do not question the value of a gift. The expression comes from the practice of determining the age and health of a horse by looking at its teeth
|
| Don't cry over spilled milk
| Global
| Don't make a big deal over little things
|
| (The) door swings both ways
| USA
| The same principle applies to two or more situations. Typically used to attack hypocritical statements or actions, e.g. "What you do to me, I can do to you."
|
| Double-edged sword
| Global
| Something that can be helpful or harmful
|
| Down in the dumps (or doldrums)
| Global
| Sad or regretful
|
| Drag one's heels (or feet)
| Global
| To do something slowly or unwillingly
|
| Drain the lizard
| AUS?
| To urinate. Vulgar slang usually used by/applied to men.
|
| Draw a blank
| Global
| Unable to come up with a searched-for idea or plan
|
| Draw a long bow
|
| To lie
|
| (To) draw a line (in the sand)
| Global
| To set a limit or make a stand as if it were an ultimatum.
|
| (To) draw a line under
| Global
| To bring a matter to an end, or to change the subject.
|
| Drink the Kool-Aid
| USA
| To follow blindly without thought, often to one's own demise. Refers to the ritual mass suicide of Jonestown in which followers of the People's Temple religious cult died from drinking Kool-Aid (actually Flavor Aid) spiked with cyanide and Valium.
|
| Drive a wedge (between)
| Global
| Introduce a contentious issue into a debate so as to cause a united group to split and disagree among themselves.
|
| Drive one up the wall
| Global
| Agitate to the point of great frustration
|
| Drop the ball
| AUS, USA
| Make a major mistake; often used when that mistake causes the failure or setback of a larger event
|
| Drop a line
| AUS, UK, USA
| To write a letter; to correspond through writing
|
| Dry run
| Global
| Stepping through a process without actually performing any permanent actions. Used to assess the feasibility and/or impact of a process.
|
| Dry as a nun's cunt
| AUS
| Very dry (vulgar slang).
|
| Dutch courage
| Global
| To drink alcohol to steel oneself for a courageous task.
|
| Dutch uncle
|
| An unhelpful person who gives unwelcome advice
|
