drop a brick Go to drop a bomb(shell).
drop around (sometime) and drop by (some-
time) to come and visit at some future
time. (Similar to drop in (on someone).)
Nice to see you, Mary. You and Bob must
drop around sometime. Please do drop
around when you’re out driving. We’d
love to have you drop by.
drop by (sometime) Go to drop around (some-
time).
drop by the wayside Go to fall by the
wayside.
drop dead 1. to die suddenly. I under-
stand that Tom Anderson dropped dead at
his desk yesterday. No one knows why
Uncle Bob suddenly dropped dead. 2. Go
away and stop bothering me. (Rude
slang.) If you think I’m going to put up
with your rudeness all afternoon, you can
just drop dead! Drop dead! I’m not your
slave!
drop everything to stop doing whatever
one is doing. Drop everything and go
outside. The house is on fire. Do you ex-
pect me to drop everything and come and
pick you up at school?
drop in one’s tracks to stop or collapse
from exhaustion; to die suddenly.
keep working this way, I’ll drop in my
tracks. Uncle Bob was working in the
garden and dropped in his tracks. We are
all sorry that he’s dead.
drop in (on someone) and drop in (to say
hello) to pay someone a casual visit, per-
haps a surprise visit. I hate to drop in
on people when they aren’t expecting me.
You’re welcome to drop in at any time.
We won’t stay a minute. We just
dropped in to say hello.
a drop in the bucket Go to a drop in the
ocean.
drop in (to say hello) Go to drop in (on
someone).
drop names to mention the names of im-
portant or famous people as if they were
personal friends. Mary always tries to
impress people by dropping the names of
well-known film stars. Bill’s such a snob.
Leave it to him to drop the names of all the
local gentry.
drop off (to sleep) to go to sleep without
difficulty; to fall asleep. I sat in the
warm room for five minutes, and then I
dropped off to sleep. After I’ve eaten
dinner, I can drop off with no trouble at
all.
drop out (of something) to stop being a
member of something; to stop attending
or participating in something. (Also lit-
eral.) I’m working part time so that I
won’t have to drop out of college. I don’t
want to drop out at this time.
drop someone to stop being friends with
someone, especially with one’s boyfriend
or girlfriend. Bob finally dropped Jane.
I don’t know what he saw in her. I’m
surprised that she didn’t drop him first.
drop someone a few lines Go to drop some-
one a line.
drop someone a line and drop someone a
few lines to write a letter or a note to
someone. (Line refers to lines of writing.)
I dropped Aunt Jane a line last Thanks-
giving. She usually drops me a few lines
around the first of the year.
drop someone’s name to mention the name
of an important or famous person as if
the person were a personal friend.
Mary always tries to impress people by
dropping a well-known movie star’s name.
Joan is such a snob. Leave it to her to
drop some social leader’s name.
drop the other shoe to do the deed that
completes something; to do the expected
remaining part of something. (Refers to
the removal of shoes at bedtime. One
shoe is dropped, and then the process is
completed when the second shoe drops.)
Mr. Franklin has left his wife. Soon he’ll
drop the other shoe and divorce her.
Tommy has just failed three classes in
school. We expect him to drop the other
shoe and quit altogether any day now.
drop the subject to stop talking about
whatever is being talked about. This is
a disgusting conversation. Let’s drop the
subject. He had heard enough about my
operation, so I just dropped the subject.
drown one’s sorrows Go to drown one’s
troubles.
drown one’s troubles and drown one’s
sorrows to try to forget one’s problems
by drinking a lot of alcohol. (Informal.)
Bill is in the bar, drowning his troubles.
Jane is at home, drowning her sorrows.
drown someone or something out to make so
much noise that someone or something
cannot be heard. I can’t hear what you
said. The radio drowned you out. T We
couldn’t hear all the concert because the
airplanes drowned out the quiet parts.
drug on the market on the market in great
abundance; a glut on the market. Right
now, small computers are a drug on the
market. Ten years ago, small transistor
radios were a drug on the market.
drum some business up to stimulate
people to buy what you are selling. I
need to do something to drum some busi-
ness up. T A little bit of advertising would
drum up some business.
drum something into someone(‘s head) to
make someone learn something through
persistent repetition. Yes, I know that.
They drummed it into me as a child.
Now I’m drumming it into my own chil-
dren. I will drum it into their heads day
and night.
drunk and disorderly a criminal charge
for public drunkenness accompanied by
bad or offensive behavior. The judge
fined Max for being drunk and disorderly.
In addition to being convicted for driv-
ing while intoxicated, Max was found
guilty of being drunk and disorderly.
drunk as a lord Go to (as) drunk as a lord.
drunk as a skunk Go to (as) drunk as a
lord.
dry as a bone Go to (as) dry as a bone.
dry as dust Go to (as) dry as dust.
dry run an attempt; a rehearsal.
better have a dry run for the official cere-
mony tomorrow. The children will need
a dry run before their procession in the
pageant.
dry someone out to help a drunk person get
sober. We had to call the doctor to help
dry Mr. Franklin out. T It takes time to
dry out someone who has been drinking for
a week.
dry up to become silent; to stop talking.
(Also literal. Informal.) The young lec-
turer was so nervous that he forgot what he
was going to say and dried up. Actors
have a fear of drying up on stage. Oh,
dry up! I’m sick of listening to you.
duck and cover 1. to dodge something,
such as an issue or a difficult question,
and attempt to shield oneself against sim-
ilar issues or questions. (Refers to duck-
ing down and taking cover to protect
oneself.) The candidate’s first reaction
to the question was to duck and cover.
The debaters were ducking and covering
throughout the evening. 2. dodging some-
thing, such as an issue or a difficult ques-
tion, and attempting to shield oneself
against similar issues or questions. (Typ-
ically duck-and-cover.) These politi-
cians are experts at duck-and-cover.
When in doubt, turn to duck-and-cover.
dull as dishwater Go to (as) dull as
dishwater.
dull as ditchwater Go to (as) dull as
dishwater.
Dutch auction an auction or sale that
starts off with a high asking price that is
then reduced until a buyer is found.
Dutch auctions are rare—most auction-
eers start with a lower price than they hope
to obtain. My real estate agent advised
me to ask a reasonable price for my house
rather than get involved with a Dutch
auction.
Dutch treat a social occasion where one
pays for oneself. (See also go Dutch.)
“It’s nice of you to ask me out to dinner,”
she said, “but could we make it a Dutch
treat?” The office outing is always a
Dutch treat.
Dutch uncle a man who gives frank and di-
rect advice to someone in the manner of
a parent or relative. I would not have to
lecture you like a Dutch uncle if you were
not so extravagant. He acts more like a
Dutch uncle than a husband. He’s forever
telling her what to do in public.
duty bound (to do something) forced by a
sense of duty and honor to do something.
Good evening, madam. I’m duty bound
to inform you that we have arrested your
husband. No one made me say that. I
was duty bound.
dyed-in-the-wool permanent; indelible;
stubborn. (Usually said of a person.)
My uncle was a dyed-in-the-wool farmer.
He wouldn’t change for anything. Sally
is a dyed-in-the-wool socialist.
dying to do something very anxious to do
something. I’m just dying to go sailing
in your new boat. After a long hot day
like this one, I’m just dying for a cool drink
of water.
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