[double duty]{n.} Two uses or jobs; two purposes or duties. •/Matthew does double duty. He’s the janitor in the morning and gardener in the afternoon./ •/Our new washer does double duty; it washes the clothes and also dries them./

[double-header]{n.} Two games or contests played one right after the other, between the same two teams or two different pairs of teams. •/The Yankees and the Dodgers played a double-header Sunday afternoon./ •/We went to a basketball double-header at Madison Square Garden and saw Seton Hall play St. John’s and N.Y.U. play Notre Dame./

[double nickel]{adv.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} The nationally enforced speed limit on some highways — 55 MPH. •/We’d better go double nickel on this stretch, partner; there’s a bear in the air./

[double-park]{v.} To park a car beside another car which is at the curb. •/Jimmy’s father double-parked his car and the police gave him a ticket./ •/If you double-park, you block other cars from passing./

[double-talk]{n.} 1. Something said that is worded, either on purpose or by accident, so that it may be understood in two or more different ways. •/The politician avoided the question with double-talk./ 2. Something said that does not make sense; mixed up talk or writing; nonsense. •/The man’s explanation of the new tax bill was just a lot of double-talk./

[double up]{v.} 1. To bend far over forward. •/Jim was hit by the baseball and doubled up with pain./ 2. To share a room, bed, or home with another. •/When relatives came for a visit, Ann had to double up with her sister./

[doubt] See: GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, NO DOUBT.

[do up]{v.} 1a. To clean and prepare for use or wear; launder. •/Ann asked her mother to do up her dress./ 1b. To put in order; straighten up; clean. •/At camp the girls have to do up their own cabins./ 2. To tie up or wrap. •/Joan asked the clerk to do up her purchases./ 3a. To set and fasten (hair) in place. •/Grace helped her sister to do up her hair./ Compare: PUT UP. 3b. {informal} To dress or clothe. •/Suzie was done up in her fine new skirt and blouse./

[do up brown]{v. phr.}, {slang} To do in a thorough or complete way. •/When Jim does a job, he does it up brown./

[do well by]{v. phr.} To benefit; help; treat exceptionally well. •/In his will Grandpa did well by all of his grandchildren and left each of them one million dollars./

[do with]{v.} 1. To find enough for one’s needs; manage. — Usually follows "can". •/Some children can do with very little spending money./ Compare: GET ALONG, MAKE DO. 2. To make use of; find useful or helpful. — Follows "can" or "could". •/After a hard day’s work, a man can do with a good, hot meal./ •/After cleaning out the basement, the boy could do with a bath./

[do without] or [go without] {v.} 1. To live or work without (something you want); manage without. •/Ann said that she likes candy, but can do without it./ •/We had to go without hot food because the stove was broken./ 2. To live or work without something you want; manage. •/If George cannot earn money for a bicycle, he will have to do without./ Compare: GET ALONG, GET BY.

[down and out]{adj. phr.} Without money; without a job or home; broke. •/Poor Sam lost his job after his wife had left him; he is really down and out./

[down-and-outer]{n. phr.} A person who has lost everything and is penniless. •/Joe goes from shelter to shelter asking for food and a place to sleep; he’s become a regular down-and-outer./

[down-at-heel] or [down-at-the-heel] or [down-at-the-heels] {adj.} Poorly kept up or dressed shabby; not neat; sloppy. •/John is always down-at-the-heels, but his sister is always very neat./ •/Old houses sometimes look down-at-the-heel./

[down east] or [Down East] {n.} The northeast coastal part of the United States and part of Canada; especially: the coastal parts of Maine. •/Many people in Boston like to go down east for their summer vacation./ Compare: I WOULDN’T DO IT FOR A FARM DOWN EAST.

[down in the dumps] or [down in the mouth] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Sad or discouraged; gloomy; dejected. •/The boys were certainly down in the dumps when they heard that their team had lost./

[down on]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Having a grudge against; angry at. •/John is down on his teacher because she gave him a low grade./

[down one’s alley] or [up one’s alley] {adj. phr.}, {slang} Suited to your tastes and abilities; what you like or like to do. •/Baseball is right down Jim’s alley./ Compare: CUP OF TEA.

[down one’s neck] See: BREATHE DOWN ONE’S NECK.

[down one’s nose] See: LOOK DOWN ONE’S NOSE.

[down one’s throat] See: JUMP DOWN ONE’S THROAT, SHOVE DOWN ONE’S THROAT or RAM DOWN ONE’S THROAT.

[down on one’s luck]{adj.}, {informal} Having bad luck; having much trouble; not successful in life. •/Harry asked me to lend him ten dollars, because he was down on his luck./ •/The teacher is easy on Jane because Jane has been down on her luck lately./ Compare: HARD ROW TO HOE, HARD SLEDDING, ON ONE’S UPPERS.

[down payment]{n.} A retainer paid to a prospective seller. •/How much of a down payment do you require for this new car?/

[down the drain]{adj.} or {adv. phr.}, {informal} Wasted; lost. •/It is money down the drain if you spend it all on candy./ •/Our plans to go swimming went down the drain when it rained./ Compare: GO BY THE BOARD.

[down the hatch!]{v. phr.}, {informal} Let us drink! •/When we celebrated Mom’s birthday, we all raised our glasses and cried in unison, "Down the hatch!"/

[down the line]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. Down the road or street; straight ahead. •/The church is down the line a few blocks./ 2. All the way; completely; thoroughly. •/Bob always follows the teacher’s directions right down the line./

[down-to-earth]{adj.} Showing good sense; practical. •/The committee’s first plan for the party was too fancy, but the second was more down-to-earth./ •/Mr. Jenkins never seems to know what is happening around him, but his wife is friendly and down-to-earth./ Compare: COME BACK TO EARTH.

[down to the wire]{adj.}, {slang} 1. Running out of time, nearing a deadline. •/Bob is down to the wire on his project./ 2. Being financially almost broke, being very low on cash or other funds. •/We can’t afford going to a restaurant tonight — we’re really down to the wire!/

[down with a disease]{adj. phr.} Ill or sick. •/Aunt Liz is down with the flu this week; she has to stay in bed./

[dozen] See: BY THE DOZEN, DAILY DOZEN, DIME A DOZEN, SIX OF ONE AND HALF-A-DOZEN OF THE OTHER.

[drag in]{v.} To insist on bringing (another subject) into a discussion; begin talking about (something different.) •/No matter what we talk about, Jim drags in politics./ •/Whenever anyone mentions travel, Grace has to drag in the trip to Mexico she took ten years ago./

[drag on] or [drag out] {v.} 1. To pass very slowly. •/The cold winter months dragged on until we thought spring would never come./ 2. To prolong; make longer. •/The meeting would have been over quickly if the members had not dragged out the argument about dues./