Idioms Translator

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Base language: EN

Letter: d

Total idioms: 9858 - currently selected: 417 (50 per page)

(Don't) carry coal(s) to Newcastle

Details:
It's an idiom of British origin describing a pointless or superfluous action. 
To do something that is unneeded or redundant.


Examples:
1. Mr. Smith is so rich he doesn't need any more money. To give him a gift certificate is like carrying coals to Newcastle. 
2. I thought a bottle of wine would be a nice gift, but when I saw their liquor cabinet I could tell that I had carried coals to Newcastle.


Origin:
It refers to the fact that historically, the economy of Newcastle upon Tyne in north-eastern England was heavily dependent on the distribution and sale of coal and therefore any attempt to sell coal to Newcastle would be foolhardy as supply would be greater there than anywhere else in Britain. Historically, the phrase "To carry Coals to Newcastle" is first documented in North America in 1679 in William Fitzhugh's letters ("But relating farther to you would be carrying Coals to Newcastle") and first appears in a printed title in Labour in vain: or Coals to Newcastle: A sermon to the people of Queen-Hith, 1709. Timothy Dexter, an American entrepreneur, succeeded in defying the idiom in the eighteenth century by actually shipping coal to Newcastle. 
Renowned for his eccentricity and widely regarded as a buffoon, he was persuaded to sail a shipment of coal to Newcastle by rival merchants plotting to ruin him. However, he instead got a large profit after his cargo arrived during a miners' strike which had crippled local production.


(Nu) vinde castraveti gradinarului

Detalii:
Este un idiom de origine britanica, ce descrie o actiune inutila. 
Sa faci ceva care nu are sens sau este foarte ineficient.


Exemple:
1. Dl. Sandu e asa de bogat ca nu mai are nevoie de bani. Sa-i faci cadou un card de economii ar fi ca si cand ai vinde castraveti gradinarului.  
2. M-am gandit ca ar merge sa-i fac cadou o sticla de vin, dar cand am vazut cabinetul lor de lichioruri, mi-am dat seama ca as vinde castraveti gradinarului.

Dab hand at something

Details:
If you're a dab hand at something, you're very good at doing it.


Examples:
Why don't you call Suzy? She's a dab hand at organizing barbecues.




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Exemple:

Daft as a brush

Details:
daft as a brush (not comparable)
1. Describes someone who is known to do and say silly things.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Daily grind

Details:
daily grind (plural daily grinds)
1. (idiomatic) The difficult, routine, or monotonous tasks of daily work.
? As soon as he has the money to retire, he plans to leave the daily grind and travel more.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Damn by association

Details:
damn by association (third-person singular simple present damns by association, present participle damning by association, simple past and past participle damned by association)
1. (transitive) To discredit or condemn (someone or something, such as a position) by attacking someone or something associated.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Damn the torpedoes

Details:
damn the torpedoes
1. (idiomatic) Used to dismiss the risks of a dangerous action.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Damn with faint praise

Details:
damn with faint praise
1. (idiomatic) To provide praise that is so minimal or inconsequential as to suggest criticism or a negative regard for the object.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Damn yankee

Details:
damn Yankee (plural damn Yankees)
1. Used other than as an idiom.
2. (used in the southern US) A person from the northern United States (a Yankee) who moves to the South to reside there.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Damned if one does and damned if one doesn't

Details:
damned if one does and damned if one doesn't
1. (idiomatic) A dilemma where either choice results in a negative outcome.
? If John leaves for New York to follow his career, his father will disinherit him. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
? Damned if I do and damned if I don't.
? Damned if you do and damned if you don't.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Damp squib

Details:
damp squib (plural damp squibs)
1. A firework that fails to go off, due to wetting.
2. (idiomatic, by extension) Anything that doesn’t work properly, or fails to come up to expectations.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dance attendance

Details:
If you dance attendance on somebody, you are constantly available for that person and attend to their wishes.


Examples:
She's rich and famous and expects everyone to dance attendance on her.




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Exemple:

Dance to someone's tune

Details:
If you dance to someone's tune, you do whatever that person tells you to do.


Examples:
He is the company's major shareholder so the management has to dance to his tune.




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Exemple:

Daniel come to judgement

Details:
Daniel come to judgement (plural Daniels come to judgement)
1. (idiomatic) One who wisely settles a difficult matter.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dark horse

Details:
If you refer to someone as a dark horse you mean that they are secretive or that little is known about them.dark horse (plural dark horses)1. (idiomatic, politics) A candidate who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.2. (rare) An unexpected success.


Examples:
I can't say I know my neighbour.  He's a bit of a dark horse.
Everyone was expecting the red team to win, but the greens were the dark horse in the event.





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Exemple:

Darken a church door

Details:
darken a church door
1. (idiomatic) to go to church for a service.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Darken somebody'sdoor

Details:
If you darken somebody's door, you come as an unwanted or unwelcome visitor.


Examples:
Just get out of here and never darken my door again!




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Exemple:

Darken someone's door

Details:
darken someone's door
1. (idiomatic) To arrive at the entrance of someone's residence or of another building associated with that person, especially as an unwelcome visitor.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dark horse

Details:
If you refer to someone as a dark horse you mean that they are secretive or that little is known about them.


Examples:
I can't say I know my neighbour.  He's a bit of a dark horse.




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Exemple:

Darn tootin'

Details:
1. (chiefly US, countrified, idiomatic) Absolutely correct; speaking the truth.
2. (chiefly US, countrified, idiomatic) Absolute, utter, complete, very.


Examples:
1. Mr President, I gotta darn tootin’ idea as to what we ought to do.
2. It was the best darn tootin' burger this gal has had in a long time.





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Exemple:

Darning needle

Details:
1. Used other than as an idiom: A needle used for darning.
2. A large needle used for darning.
3. A damselfly, or a dragonfly that resembles one.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dash off

Details:
1. (intransitive) To leave a place quickly or briefly.
2. (transitive, idiomatic) To write quickly or informally.


Examples:
1. I have to dash off to the store, but I'll be back soon. 2. Let me dash off a quick note.




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Exemple:

Date with destiny

Details:
date with destiny (plural dates with destiny)
1. (idiomatic) An inevitable future event or encounter, especially one which is likely to be momentous.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Davy jones's locker

Details:
Davy Jones's locker
1. (nautical, idiomatic) The bottom of the ocean, especially as the grave for sailors. Also a common saying when something goes overboard and is lost.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dawn of a new day

Details:
dawn of a new day (uncountable)
1. (idiomatic) A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dawn on

Details:
To occur to somebody; to be realized.


Examples:
It finally dawned on him that he could automate the process instead of doing it by hand each time.




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Exemple:

Day after day

Details:
For an indefinite number of days.


Examples:
1. Day after day they added entries.
2. The images we see day after day numb us.





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Exemple:

Day and age

Details:
A time period of years or more.


Examples:
Who's still using a typewriter in this day and age?




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Exemple:

Day and night

Details:
day and night
1. (idiomatic) all the time; round the clock; unceasingly
day and night (comparative more day and night, superlative most day and night)
1. (figuratively) Alternative form of night and day.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Day in, day out

Details:
day in, day out
1. (idiomatic) Every day; daily; constantly or continuously; especially, of something that has become routine or monotonous.
? Even if you like peanut butter sandwiches, eating the same sandwiches day in, day out will get old.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Day lark

Details:
day lark (plural day larks)
1. (idiomatic) One who gets up early in the morning or goes to bed early.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Day one

Details:
day one
1. Used other than as an idiom: see day,‎ one.
2. The very beginning
? I've been with the project since day one.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Day or night

Details:
day or night (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) At any time; 24/7


Examples:





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Exemple:

Day out

Details:
day out (plural days out)
1. (idiomatic) An excursion, returning home on the same day.
? A visit to the Science Museum in London will be a day out to remember.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Day-to-day

Details:
day-to-day (comparative more day-to-day, superlative most day-to-day)
1. (idiomatic) Ordinary or mundane.
? One has to deal with the day-to-day chores.
2. (idiomatic) Happening every day.
? I would like to know about the day-to-day workings of the business.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Daylight

Details:
daylight (countable and uncountable, plural daylights)
1. The light from the Sun, as opposed to that from any other source.
2. A light source that simulates daylight.
3. (countable, photometry) The intensity distribution of light over the visible spectrum generated by the Sun under various conditions or by other light sources intended to simulate natural daylight.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Daylight robbery

Details:
The term daylight robbery is used when the price of something is thought to be much too high.
daylight robbery (plural daylight robberies)
1. (idiomatic) an exorbitant charge for a product or service


Examples:
$10 for an orange juice? That's daylight robbery!




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Exemple:

Days of yore

Details:
days of yore
1. (idiomatic) the past; bygone days (nostalgic)


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dead 'n' buried

Details:
dead 'n' buried (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) Contraction of dead and buried.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dead air

Details:
dead air (uncountable)
1. (idiomatic, broadcasting) An unintended interruption in a radio broadcast during which there is no sound; a similar interruption of a television broadcast in which there is neither sound nor a video signal.


Examples:





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Dead and buried

Details:
dead and buried (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) Moot, passed, irrelevant, forgotten.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dead as a dodo

Details:
To say that something is (as) dead as a dodo means that it is unquestionably dead or obsolete, or has gone out of fashion.
dead as a dodo
1. (simile) Undoubtedly and unquestionably dead.
2. (simile) That has become out of date.


Examples:
The floppy disk is an invention that is now (as) dead as a dodo.




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Exemple:

Dead as a doorknob

Details:
1. (simile) Entirely, unquestionably or certainly dead.


Examples:
1. I tried the flashlight, but the battery was as dead as a doorknob.
2. I found the mouse who lived in our wall, lying on his back with his feet in the air—as dead as a doorknob.





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Exemple:

Dead as a doornail

Details:
This expression is used to stress that a person or thing is very definitely dead.


Examples:
They've started fighting again, so the peace agreement is now as dead as a doornail.




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Exemple:

Dead as a dodo

Details:
To say that something is (as) dead as a dodo means that it is unquestionably dead or obsolete, or has gone out of fashion. (A dodo is a bird that is now extinct.)


Examples:
The floppy disk is an invention that is now (as) dead as a dodo.




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Exemple:

Dead as a doornail

Details:
This expression is used to stress that a person or thing is very definitely dead.


Examples:
They've started fighting again, so the peace agreement is now as dead asa doornail.




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Exemple:

Dead asleep

Details:
dead asleep (not comparable)
1. (idiomatic) Sleeping in a deep sleep


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dead cert

Details:
Something that is certain to happen or be achieved is a dead cert.


Examples:
After such praise, his appointment as captain of the team is a dead cert.




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Exemple:

Dead duck

Details:
This expression refers to a project or scheme which has been abandoned or is certain to fail.


Examples:
The new cinema is going to be a dead duck because it's too far away from the town centre.




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Exemple:

Dead end

Details:
dead end (plural dead ends)
1. (idiomatic) A path or strategy that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.
? That road comes to a dead end at the lake.


Examples:





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Exemple:

Dead giveaway

Details:
Something that discloses, usually unintentionally, a fact or an intention.


Examples:
That disguise is a dead giveaway! Choose something less obvious.




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