Idiom Category: General, Page 6

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Dig way down deep
When someone digs way down deep, they look into their inner feelings to see how they feel about it.
Discretion is the better part of valour
This idiom means that it is often better to think carefully and not act than to do something that may cause problems.
Dish the dirt
If you dish the dirt on something or someone, you make unpleasant or shocking information public.
Do as you would be done by
Treat and respect others as you would hope to be respected and treated by them.
Do the needful
(India) If you do the needful, you do what is necessary.
Do the running
Do the trick
If something does the trick, it is was is needed or has the necessary effect.
Do their dirty work
Someone who does someone's dirty work, carries out the unpleasant jobs that the first person doesn't want to do. Someone who seems to enjoy doing this is sometimes known as a 'henchman'.
Do's and don't's
The do's and don't's are what is acceptable or allowed or not within an area or issue, etc.
Don't hold your breath
If you are told not to hold your breath, it means that you shouldn't have high expectations about something.
Don't judge a book by the cover
This idiom means that you should not judge something or someone by appearances, but should look deeper at what is inside and more important.
Don't mention it
Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you
Don't go looking for trouble or problems- let them come to you.
Don't upset the applecart
If you are advised not to upset the applecart, you are being told not to disturb the way things are done because it might ruin things.
Don't wash your dirty laundry in public
(UK) People, especially couples, who argue in front of others or involve others in their personal problems and crises, are said to be washing their dirty laundry in public; making public things that are best left private. (In American English, 'don't air your dirty laundry in public' is used.)
Dot all the i's and cross all the t's
If you dot all the i's and cross all the t's, you do something very carefully and thoroughly.
Down and dirty
Down and dirty means unscrupulous and very competitive.
Down and out
If someone is down and out, they are desperately poor and need help.
Down in the dumps
If someone's down in the dumps, they are depressed.
Down the hatch
This idiom can be said before drinking alcohol in company.
Down the pan
If something has gone down the pan, it has failed or been ruined.
Down the pike
Something that is down the pike it is in the future.
Down the tubes
If something has gone down the tubes, it has failed or been ruined.
Down to the wire
(USA) If something goes down to the wire, like a competition, then it goes to the very last moment before it is clear who has won.
Draw a bead on
To draw a bead on is to aim a gun at something and can be used to mean to focus on or aim at someting as a goal..
Draw a blank
If you try to find something out and draw a blank, you don't get any useful information.
Draw a line in the sand
If you draw a line in the sand, you establish a limit beyond which things will be unacceptable.
Draw a long bow
If someone draws a long bow, they lie or exaggerate.
Draw the line
Drawing card
(USA) A famous person who attracts people to attend an event is a drawing card.
Dress someone down
If you dress someone down, you scold them.
Drive a wedge
If you drive a wedge between people, you exploit an issue so that people start to disagree.
Drive you spare
If someone or something drives you spare, it is extremely annoying.
Drop in the bucket
(USA) A drop in the bucket is something so small that it won't make any noticeable difference.
Drop someone a line
If you drop someone a line, you send a letter to them.
Dry as dust
Very dry. Often used metaphorically: a boring, literal person or an unexciting speech. "She knows her stuff but she's dry as dust."
Dry run
Dull as ditchwater
(UK) If something is as dull as ditchwater, it is incredibly boring. A ditch is a long narrow hole or trench dug to contain water, which is normally a dark, dirty colour and stagnant (when water turns a funny colour and starts to smell bad). (In American English,'things are 'dull as dishwater'.)
Dumb as a post
Someone's who's as dumb as a post is very stupid, like a fencepost.
Each to their own
Different people have different preferences. In American English, 'Each to his own' is more common.
Easier said than done
Easy as ABC
Something that is as easy as ABC is very easy or simple.
Easy come, easy go
This idiom means that money or other material gains that come without much effort tend to get spent or consumed as easily.
Easy does it
'Easy does it' is used to advise someone to approach a task carefully and slowly, especially in spoken English.
Eat your words
If you eat your words, you accept publicly that you were wrong about something you said.
End in smoke
If something ends in smoke, it produces no concrete or positive result. This expression refers to the boasting by a person, of having put in a lot of efforts by him, for a particular cause or to attain a result which is very difficult to be done by any person. (This mainly refers to an investigation of a crime or solving a serious offence or a mystery). But at the end, when the desired result is not obtained, his claims are found to be false and not worth mentioning. So, he looses his credibility.
Etched in stone
Something, especially rules and customs,  that cannot be changed at all is said to be etched in stone.
Even keel
If something is on an even keel, it is balanced.
Every nook and cranny
If you search every nook and cranny, you look everywhere for something.
Every trick in the book

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