D

Daft as a brush
Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.
Damp squib
If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn’t, it is a damp squib.
Dark horse
If someone is a dark horse, they are a bit of a mystery.
Daylight robbery
If you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery; open, unfair and hard to prevent.
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 in 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
If something is a dead duck, it is a failure.
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 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 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 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.
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, 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
If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed.
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’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.
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.
Discerning eye
If a person has a discerning eye, they are particularly good at judging the quality of something.
Do a runner
If people leave a restaurant without paying, they do a runner.
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.
Dog and pony show
A dog and pony show is a presentation or some marketing that has lots of style, but no real content.
Dog days
Dog days are very hot summer days.
Dog eat dog
In a dog eat dog world, there is intense competition and rivalry, where everybody thinks only of himself or herself.
Dog in the manger
If someone acts like a dog in the manger, they don’t want other people to have or enjoy things that are useless to them.
Dog tired
If you are dog tired, you are exhausted.
Dog’s dinner
Something that is a dog’s dinner is a real mess.
Dog’s life
If some has a dog’s life, they have a very unfortunate and wretched life.
Dog-eared
If a book is dog-eared, it is in bad condition, with torn pages, etc.
Doggy bag
If you ask for a doggy bag in a restaurant, they will pack the food you haven’t eaten for you to take home.
Doldrums
If a person is in the doldrums, they are depressed. If a project or something similar is in the doldrums, it isn’t making any progress.
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 look a gift horse in the mouth
This means that if you are given something, a present or a chance, you should not waste it by being too critical or examining it too closely.
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 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 wash your dirty laundry in public
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.
Done to death
If a joke or story has been done to death, it has been told so often that it has stopped being funny.
Donkey’s years
This idiom means ‘a very long time’.
Doormat
A person who doesn’t stand up for himself and gets treated badly is a doormat.
Double Dutch
If something is double Dutch, it is completely incomprehensible.
Double take
If someone does a double take, they react very slowly to something to show how shocked or surprised they are.
Double whammy
A double whammy is when something causes two problems at the same time, or when two setbacks occur at the same time.
Double-edged sword
If someone uses an argument that could both help them and harm them, then they are using a two-edged sword; it cuts both ways.
Down and out
If someone is down and out, they are desperately poor and need help.
Down at heel
Someone who is down at heel is short of money.
Down for the count
If someone is down for the count, they have lost a struggle, like a boxer who has been knocked out.
Down in the doldrums
If somebody’s down in the doldrums, they are depressed and lacking energy.
Down in the dumps
If someone’s down in the dumps, they are depressed.
Down the pan
If something has gone down the pan, it has failed or been ruined.
Down the tubes
If something has gone down the tubes, it has failed or been ruined.
Down to the wire
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.
Drag your feet
If someone is dragging their feet, they are taking too long to do or finish something, usually because they don’t want to do it.
Drag your heels
If you drag your heels, you either delay doing something or do it as slowly as possible because you don’t want to do it.
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
When you draw the line, you set out limits of what you find acceptable, beyond which you will not go.
Draw the shortest straw
If someone draws the shortest straw, they lose or are chosen to do something unpleasant.
Dressed to the nines
If you are in your very best clothes, you’re dressed to the nines.
Drink like a fish
If someone drinks like a fish, they drink far too much alcohol.
Drive a wedge
If you drive a wedge between people, you exploit an issue so that people start to disagree.
Drive someone up the wall
If something or someone drives you up the wall, they do something that irritates you greatly.
Drop in the bucket
A drop in the bucket is something so small that it won’t make any noticeable difference.
Drop in the ocean
A drop in the ocean implies that something will have little effect because it is small and mostly insignificant.
Drunk as a lord
Someone who is very drunk is as drunk as a lord.
Dry as a bone
If your lawn is as dry as a bone, the soil is completely dry.
Dry spell
If something or someone is having a dry spell, they aren’t being as successful as they normally are.
Duck soup
If something is duck soup, it is very easy.
Duck to water
If you take to something like a duck to water, you find when you start that you have a natural affinity for it.
Dull as ditchwater
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.
Dunkirk spirit
Dunkirk spirit is when people pull together to get through a very difficult time.
Dutch auction
If something is sold by setting a price, then reducing it until someone buys it, it is sold in a Dutch auction. It can also mean that something is changed until it is accepted by everyone.
Dutch courage
Dutch courage is the reckless bravery caused by drinking too much.
Dutch uncle
A Dutch uncle is a person who gives unwelcome advice.
Dwell on the past
Thinking too much about the past, so that it becomes a problem is to dwell on the past.
Dyed-in-the-wool
If someone is a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of a political party, etc, they support them totally, without any questions.