[drag on the market]{n. phr.} An article for which the demand has
fallen off thus causing an oversupply. •/Your type of word processor went out
of style and is now a drag on the market./
[drag oneself up by one’s boot straps] See: PULL ONESELF UP BY THE BOOT
STRAPS.
[drag one’s feet] or [drag one’s heels] {v. phr.} To act slowly or
reluctantly. •/The children wanted to watch television, and dragged their
feet when their mother told them to go to bed./ •/The city employees said
the mayor had promised to raise their pay, but was now dragging his feet./
[drag out] See: DRAG ON.
[drag race]{n.}, {slang} An automobile race in which the drivers
try to cover a certain distance (usually one quarter mile) in the shortest
possible time. •/Drag races are often held on airport landing strips./
•/Holding drag races is a good way to stop teenage hot rod racing on public
highways./ Compare: DRAG STRIP.
[drag strip]{n.}, {slang} A place where drag races are held.
•/Before the race Paul loaded his racer onto the trailer to take it out of
town to the drag strip for the race./ Compare: DRAG RACE.
[drain] See: DOWN THE DRAIN.
[draw] See: BEAT TO THE PUNCH or BEAT TO THE DRAW.
[draw a bead on]{v. phr.}{informal} 1. To aim at; sight (with a
gun). •/The deer bounded into the forest before the hunters could draw a bead
on them./ •/John drew a bead on the elk, but didn’t have the heart to pull
the trigger./ 2. To take (something) as an aim or goal. •/"I’m drawing a
bead on the Literary Society president’s office," said Tom./ 3. To use as a
target of attack; criticize. •/Whenever a politician makes a mistake, his
opponents are ready to draw a bead on him./
[draw a blank]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To obtain nothing in return
for an effort made or to get a negative result. •/I looked up all the Joneses
in the telephone book but I drew a blank every time I asked for Archibald
Jones./ 2. To fail to remember something. •/I am trying to think of the
name but I keep drawing a blank./ 3. To be consistently unsuccessful at doing
something. •/I keep trying to pass that math exam but each time I try it I
draw a blank./
[draw a conclusion]{v. phr.} To make an inference. •/After he failed
to keep an appointment with me for the third time, I drew the conclusion that
he was an unreliable person./
[draw a line] or [draw the line] {v. phr.} 1. To think of as
different. •/The law in this country draws a line between murder and
manslaughter./ •/Can you draw the line between a lie and a fib?/ 2. To
set a limit to what will be done; say something cannot be done. •/We would
like to invite everybody to our party, but we have to draw a line somewhere./ — Often used with "at". •/Mrs. Jones draws the line at permitting the
children to play in their father’s den./ •/People fighting for their
freedom often do not draw the line at murder./
[draw a long breath] or [take a long breath] {v. phr.} To breathe
deeply when getting ready to speak or act. •/Father asked who broke the
window. Jim drew a long breath and admitted that he had done it./ •/The
salesman took a long breath and started his talk./
[draw a parallel]{v. phr.} To make a comparison. •/It is easy to
draw a parallel between the characters of Saint Francis of Assisi and Great
Saint Theresa of Aquila, but this doesn’t mean that all saints are alike./
[draw and quarter]{v. phr.}, {literary} 1. To execute someone in
the barbaric medieval fashion of having him torn into four pieces by four
horses tearing his body in four different directions. •/The captured foreign
marauders were drawn and quartered by the angry citizens of ancient
Frankfurt./ 2. To punish someone very severely. •/"If you miss another
homework assignment, John," the teacher said, "I’ll have you drawn and
quartered."/
[draw aside]{v. phr.} To separate; take to one side. •/He drew her
aside and whispered into her ear, "Johanna, please marry me!"/
[draw back]{v.} To move back; back away; step backward; withdraw; move
away from. •/When the man spotted the rattlesnake, he drew back and aimed his
shotgun./ •/The children drew back from the dog when it barked at them./
•/When the pitcher drew back his arm to pitch the ball, Tom ran as fast as he
could to steal second base./ •/Some juice from the grapefruit that Father
was eating squirted in his eye and he drew back in surprise./ Compare: DROP
BACK.
[drawback]{n.} Disadvantage; obstacle; hindrance. •/The biggest
drawback of Bill’s plan is the cost involved./
[draw blood]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make someone feel hurt or
angry. •/If you want to draw blood, ask Jim about his last money-making
scheme./ •/Her sarcastic comments drew blood./
[drawer] See: TOP-DRAWER.
[draw fire]{v. phr.} 1. To attract or provoke shooting; be a target.
•/The general’s white horse drew the enemy’s fire./ 2. To bring criticism
or argument; make people say bad things about you. •/Having the newest car in
your group is sure to draw fire./
[drawing card]{n.} The most important figure in a multi-person event;
the top entertainer during a show; the best professor or researcher at a
university, etc. •/During the concert series Barbra Streisand was the biggest
drawing card./ •/The biggest drawing card at many a university is the
resident Nobel Laureate./
[draw in one’s horns] See: PULL IN ONE’S HORNS.
[draw interest]{v. phr.} To earn interest on invested capital. •/My
savings account draws 4.5% interest./
[draw lots]{v. phr.} To select at random from a series in order to
determine precedents or apportionment. •/The refugees to be evacuated drew
lots on who would get a place on the first airplane out of the besieged
city./
[draw near]{v. phr.} To approach; come near. •/The time is drawing
near when this century will end and the next will begin./
[draw off]{v. phr.} To drain away; deflect. •/A light flanking
attack was made in order to draw off the enemy’s fire./
[draw on]{v. phr.} 1. To arrive; approach. •/As midnight drew on,
the New Year’s Eve party grew louder and louder./ 2. To secure funds from a
bank or person. •/Jack kept drawing on his bank account so much that several
of his checks bounced./
[draw out]{v. phr.} 1. To take out; remove. •/Johnny drew a dollar
out of the bank to buy his mother a present./ •/The hunter drew out his gun
and shot the snake./ 2. To make (a person) talk or tell something. •/Jimmy
was bashful but Mrs. Wilson drew him out by asking him about baseball./ 3. To
make come out; bring out. •/The bell of the ice-cream truck drew the children
out of the houses./ •/Mary was drawn out of her silence by Billy’s
jokes./ 4. To make longer or too long; stretch. •/The Smiths drew out their
vacation at the beach an extra week./ •/It was a long drawn out meeting
because everybody tried to talk at once./ •/Mary and her mother drew out
their goodbyes so long at the bus station that Mary almost missed the bus./
[draw the fire of] See: DRAW OFF.
[draw the line] See: DRAW A LINE.
[draw to a close]{v. phr.} To finish; terminate; come to an end.
•/The meeting drew to a close around midnight./