drop

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.