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The D drawer
43 phrases beginning with D.
- Damp squib A disappointing event or effort that produces far less effect than expected. Do not list 'damp squid' as a standard variant; it is a common…
- Dark horse A competitor or candidate who is little known but unexpectedly achieves success, or whose abilities are hard to judge because so little is known about…
- Davy Jones's locker The bottom of the sea, especially imagined as the grave of drowned sailors and wrecked ships. Nautical and often macabre. It can refer to the seabed…
- Dead as a doornail Completely lifeless or finished, beyond any spark of revival.
- Dead ringer A person or thing that looks exactly like another; an exact double. Typically 'a dead ringer for someone'. Informal and usually light-hearted; the…
- Deep dive A thorough, detailed examination or analysis of a subject, also used as a verb meaning to examine something in depth. Common in business, journalism…
- Deepfake A fabricated image, video, or audio clip made with machine-learning tools so convincingly that it appears to show a real person doing or saying…
- Delulu Playfully delusional: so convinced of an unrealistic outcome, especially in dating or celebrity fandom, that the conviction itself becomes the joke…
- Devil a bit Not at all or not even the smallest amount, used as an emphatic Irish or dialect denial. Dated or regional and mildly irreverent. It usually precedes…
- Digital detox A planned break from phones, social media, and other screens for a defined period, intended to reduce stress and reset everyday technology habits…
- Dine with Duke Humphrey Go without dinner, especially while pretending or hoping to dine. Archaic. It refers to missing a meal, not to eating grandly with a nobleman…
- Dinna fash yourself Do not worry or trouble yourself, and do not make unnecessary effort over the matter. Regional, friendly and usually reassuring. 'Dinna' is Scots, not…
- Do the needful Take whatever action is necessary in the circumstances. Formal and efficient within its regional professional norm. International recipients may…
- Dog days of summer The hottest, most oppressive part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, often associated with lethargy or a seasonal lull. The exact dates vary by…
- Dog eat dog A ruthless, cutthroat world where everyone fights for themselves.
- Dog whistle Political language that seems innocuous to the general audience but carries a targeted secondary message to a particular group, usually one with…
- Dogfooding The practice of a company using its own products internally, under the same conditions as its customers, both to catch faults early and to demonstrate…
- Dollars to doughnuts A wager or assertion made with overwhelming confidence. Somewhat old-fashioned but still transparent Regional use: United States and Canada.
- Don't bite the hand that feeds you Don't harm or turn on your benefactor.
- Don't count your chickens before they hatch A warning not to assume success or benefits before they're certain, urging caution against premature optimism that could lead to disappointment. It…
- Don't give up the day job Stick to your main gig, not good enough.
- Don't hold your breath Don't expect it soon or at all, a slim chance.
- Don't look a gift horse in the mouth Don't question or critique a free gift, taking it as is.
- Don't put all your eggs in one basket A caution against risking everything on a single venture, urging diversification to avoid total loss if it fails.
- Don't rest on your laurels Keep pushing, don't coast.
- Don't rock the boat To avoid stirring trouble or change, keeping things steady.
- Don't shoot the messenger Spare the bearer of bad news, not their fault.
- Don't take any wooden nickels A friendly but cautionary farewell meaning: stay alert, avoid being cheated, and do not accept anything worthless or deceptive. Usually humorous and…
- Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs Don't tell an expert what they know, it's daft.
- Don't throw stones in glass houses Don't judge when you're flawed too, watch it.
- Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater Do not discard something valuable while trying to remove what is unwanted or defective. Improve or reform it selectively rather than rejecting the…
- Don't upset the apple cart Avoid disrupting a good setup or plan, keeping it steady.
- Donkey's years A very long time. Usually appears after 'for' or 'in'. The shortened 'donkey's' is informal British usage. Regional use: United Kingdom, Ireland and…
- Doom spending Spending money on impulse purchases as a way of coping with anxiety about the economy, politics, or the state of the world, instead of saving or…
- Doomscrolling The habit of continuously scrolling through bad news on a phone or computer even though it is distressing, because the content is alarming or…
- Double-double A coffee prepared with two servings of cream and two of sugar. Current informal food-and-drink term Regional use: Canada.
- Down to the wire Used of a contest, negotiation, or process whose outcome remains undecided until the very last moment. It typically appears in constructions like 'go…
- Doxxing Publicly revealing private identifying information about someone, such as their home address, workplace, legal name, or phone number, usually online…
- Draw a blank To fail to get a result: either to be unable to remember or think of something, or to get nothing from a search, inquiry, or attempt. Common in…
- Dressing down A harsh scolding or formal reprimand, usually delivered by someone in authority to a subordinate who has made a mistake. As a verb phrase, 'to dress…
- Drugstore cowboy A person dressed like an experienced cowboy without having the experience, or a fashionable young loafer who lingers in public places. Dated and…
- Dutch courage Boldness or confidence gained from drinking alcohol rather than from actual bravery, often with the implication that it is fleeting or foolhardy. It…
- Dutch uncle A person who rebukes or lectures frankly, severely and at length, usually with the best of intentions. Nearly always found in the phrase to talk to…