[dark horse]{n.}, {informal} A political candidate little known to the general voting public; a candidate who was not expected to run. •/Every once in a while a dark horse candidate gets elected President./
[dark of the moon]{n. phr.}, {literary} A time when the moon is not shining or cannot be seen. •/A was the dark of the moon when the scouts reached camp and they had to use flashlights to find their tents./ Contrast: FULL OF THE MOON.
[dash cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.
[dash light]{n.} A light on the front inside of a car or vehicle. •/Henry stopped the car and turned on the dash lights to read the road map./
[dash off]{v.} To make, do, or finish quickly; especially, to draw, paint, or write hurriedly. •/Ann took out her drawing pad and pencil and dashed off a sketch of the Indians./ •/John can dash off several letters while Mary writes only one./ •/Charles had forgotten to write his English report and dashed it off just before class./
[date] See: DOUBLE-DATE, TO DATE.
[date back]{v. phr.} To go back to a given period in the past. •/My ancestors date back to the sixteenth century./
[dawn on]{v.} To become clear to. •/It dawned on Fred that he would fail the course if he did not study harder./
[day] See: ALL IN A DAY’S WORK, CALL IT A DAY, CARRY THE DAY, EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY, FATHER’S DAY, FOREVER AND A DAY, GOOD DAY, MAKE A DAY OF IT, NAME DAY, NIGHT AND DAY, ONE OF THESE DAYS, or SOME OF THESE DAYS, PASS THE TIME OF DAY, RAINY DAY, SAVE THE DAY, SEE BETTER DAYS, THAT’LL BE THE DAY.
[day and night] or [night and day] {adv.} 1. For days without stopping; continually. Syn.: AROUND THE CLOCK. •/Some filling stations on great highways are open day and night 365 days a year./ •/The three men took turns driving the truck, and they drove night and day for three days./ 2. Every day and every evening. •/The girl knitted day and night to finish the sweater before her mother’s birthday./
[day by day]{adv.} Gradually. •/The patient got better day by day./
[day in and day out] or [day in, day out] {adv. phr.} Regularly; consistently; all the time; always. •/He plays good tennis day in and day out./ — Also used with several other time words in place of day: week, month, year. •/Every summer, year in, year out, the ice cream man comes back to the park./
[day in court]{n. phr.} A chance to be heard; an impartial hearing; a chance to explain what one has done. •/The letters from the faculty members to the dean gave Professor Smith his day in court./
[daylight] See: SCARE OUT OF ONE’S WITS or SCARE THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF, SEE DAYLIGHT.
[daylight saving time] also [daylight saving] or [daylight time] or [fast time] {n.} A way of keeping time in summer that is one or two hours ahead of standard time. — Abbreviation DST. •/Many places in the United States keep their clocks on daylight saving time in the summer; in this way people get up earlier and have more free time in the afternoon and evening while it is still daylight./ •/Father said that next week it will get dark later because we will change to daylight saving lime./ •/We go off daylight saving in the fall./ Compare: CENTRAL TIME. Contrast: STANDARD TIME.
[daylight robbery] See: HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
[daydream]{v.} To spend time in reverie; be absentminded during the day. •/John spends so much time daydreaming that he never gets anything done./
[day of grace]{n. phr.} An extension period after the due date of some contract or bond. •/The premium is due on the first of each month, but they allow ten days of grace./
[day of reckoning]{n. phr.} 1. A time when one will be made to account for misdeeds. •/When the criminal was caught and brought to trial his victims said, "finally, the day of reckoning has come."/ 2. A time when one’s will and Judgment are severely tested. •/"You always wanted to run the department," the dean said to Professor Smith. "Now here is your chance; this is your day of reckoning."/
[day off]{n.} A day on which one doesn’t have to work, not necessarily the weekend. •/Monday is his day off in the restaurant, because he prefers to work on Saturdays and Sundays./
[day-to-day]{adj.} Daily; common; everyday. •/For best results, students' homework should be checked on a day-to-day basis./
[days are numbered] (Someone or something) does not have long to live or stay. •/The days of the old school building are numbered./ •/When a man becomes ninety years old, his days are numbered./
[dazzle] See: RAZZLE-DAZZLE.
[dead] See: CATCH DEAD, DROP DEAD, STONEDEAD.
[dead ahead]{adv.}, {informal} Exactly in front; before. •/The school is dead ahead about two miles from here./ •/Father was driving in a fog, and suddenly he saw another car dead ahead of him./
[deadbeat]{n.}, {slang} A person who never pays his debts and who has a way of getting things free that others have to pay for. •/You’ll never collect from Joe — he’s a deadbeat./
[dead and buried]{adj. phr.} Gone forever. •/Slavery is dead and buried in twentieth-century America./
[dead as a doornail]{adj. phr.} Completely dead without the slightest hope of resuscitation. •/This battery is dead as a doornail; no wonder your car won’t start./
[dead broke] See: STONE-BROKE.
[dead center]{n.} The exact middle. •/The treasure was buried in the dead center of the island./ Often used like an adverb. •/The arrow hit the circle dead center./
[dead duck]{n.}, {slang} A person or thing in a hopeless situation or condition; one to whom something bad is sure to happen. •/When the pianist broke her arm, she was a dead duck./
[deadhead]{n.}, {slang} An excessively dull or boring person. •/You’ll never get John to tell a joke — he’s a deadhead./
[dead letter]{n. phr.} An undeliverable letter that ends up in a special office holding such letters. •/There is a dead letter office in most major cities./
[deadline]{n.} A final date by which a project, such as a term paper, is due. •/The deadline for the papers on Shakespeare is November 10./
[dead loss]{n. phr.} A total waste; a complete loss. •/Our investment in Jack’s company turned out to be a dead loss./
[dead on one’s feet]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Very tired but still standing or walking; too tired to do more; exhausted. •/Jimmy never leaves a job unfinished. He continues to work even when he’s dead on his feet./ •/After the soldiers march all night, they are dead on their feet./ Compare: DEAD TIRED, WEAR OUT(2).
[deadpan]{adj.}, {adv.}, {slang} With an expressionless or emotionless face; without betraying any hint of emotion. •/She received the news of her husband’s death deadpan./
[dead pedal]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} A slow moving vehicle. •/Better pass that eighteen wheeler, Jack; it’s a dead pedal./
[dead ringer]{n. phr.} A person who strongly resembles someone else. •/Charlie is a dead ringer for his uncle./
[dead set against]{adj. phr.} Totally opposed to someone or something. •/Jack is dead set against the idea of marriage, which upsets Mary./
[dead tired]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Very tired; exhausted; worn out. •/She was dead tired at the end of the day’s work./ Compare: DEAD ON ONE’S FEET.
[dead to rights]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Without a chance of escaping blame; proven wrong. •/Mother had Bob dead to rights, because she caught him with his hand in the cookie jar./ •/The police caught the man dead to rights./
[dead to the world]{adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Fast asleep. •/Tim went to bed very late and was still dead to the world at 10 o’clock this morning./ 2. As if dead; unconscious. •/Tom was hit on the head by a baseball and was dead to the world for two hours./
[dead-end]{n.} A street closed at one end; a situation that leads nowhere. •/Jim drove into a dead-end street and had to back out./ •/Mary was in a dead-end job./
[dead-end]{v.} To not continue normally but end in a closure (said of streets). •/Our street dead-ends on the lake./
[deaf] See: TURN A DEAF EAR TO.
[deal] See: GOOD DEAL or GREAT DEAL, NEW DEAL, NO DEAL, THINK A GREAT DEAL OF, WHEEL AND DEAL.
[deal in]{v. phr.} To sell; do business in a certain commodity. •/Herb’s firm deals in sporting goods./
[deal with]{v. phr.} 1. To conduct negotiations or business dealings with. •/John refuses to deal with the firm of Brown and Miller./ 2. To handle a problem. •/Ted is a very strong person and dealt with the fact that his wife had left him much better than anyone else I know./
[dealer] See: WHEELER-DEALER at WHEEL AND DEAL.
[dear] See: FOR DEAR LIFE.
[Dear John letter]{n. phr.} A note or a letter informing one that a romantic relationship or a marriage is over. •/Jane left a "Dear John letter" on the table and went home to live with her parents./
[dear me]{interj.} Used to show surprise, fear, or some other strong feeling. •/Dear me! My purse is lost, what shall I do now?/
[death] See: AT DEATH’S DOOR, BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, CATCH ONE’S DEATH OF or TAKE ONE’S DEATH OF, SIGN ONE’S OWN DEATH WARRANT, TO DEATH.
[death knell]{n.}, {formal} 1. The ringing of a bell at a death or funeral. •/The people mourned at the death knell of their friend./ 2. {literary} Something which shows a future failure. •/Bill’s poor grade on his final examination sounded the death knell of his hope to be a doctor./ •/His sudden deafness was the death knell of his hope to become President./
[death on]{adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Very successful in meeting or dealing with. •/Joe is death on fast balls. He usually knocks them out of the park./ 2. Disliking or strongly against; very strict about. •/The new teacher is death on students who come late to class./ •/The twins' grandmother is death on smoking./
[deck] See: HIT THE DECK, ON DECK.
[decked out]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Dressed in fancy clothes; specially decorated for some festive occasion. •/The school band was decked out in bright red uniforms with brass buttons./ •/Main Street was decked with flags for the Fourth of July./
[declare] See: I DECLARE.
[deep] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, GO OFF THE DEEP END, IN DEEP, KNEE-DEEP.
[deep-six]{v.}, {slang} To throw away; dispose of. •/As the police boat came near, the drug smugglers deep-sixed their cargo./ (An expression originally used by sailors, suggesting throwing something into water six fathoms deep.)
[deep water]{n.} Serious trouble or difficulty. •/When Dad tried to take Mom’s place for a day, he found himself in deep water./
[defense] See: ZONE DEFENSE.
[defiance] See: IN DEFIANCE OF.
[degree] See: TO A DEGREE, TO THE NTH DEGREE.
[deliver the goods]{v. phr.} 1. To carry things and give them to the person who wants them. •/Lee delivered the goods to the right house./ 2. {slang} To succeed in doing well what is expected. •/The new pitcher delivered the goods by striking out 20 men in his first game./ •/This personal computer surely delivers the goods./ Compare: BRING HOME THE BACON.
[delta wave]{n.}, {informal}, {semi-technical} A brain wave 1-3 cycles per second, associated with very deep sleep. •/Good night, honey, I’m off to produce some delta waves./ Compare: CATCH SOME Z’S, HIT THE HAY or HIT THE SACK.
