[drop name]{v. phr.} To impress people by mentioning famous names. •/He likes to pretend he’s important by dropping a lot of names./

[drop off]{v.} 1. To take (someone or something) part of the way you are going. •/Joe asked Mrs. Jones to drop him off at the library on her way downtown./ 2. To go to sleep. •/Jimmy was thinking of his birthday party as he dropped off to sleep./ 3. To die. •/The patient dropped off in his sleep./ 4. or [fall off] To become less. •/Business picked up in the stores during December, but dropped off again after Christmas./ Contrast PICK UP(14).

[dropout]{n.} Someone who did not finish school, high school and college primarily. •/Tim is having a hard time getting a better job as he was a high-school dropout./ •/Jack never got his B.A. as he became a college dropout./

[drop out]{v.} To stop attending; quit; stop; leave. •/In the middle of the race, Joe got a blister on his foot and had to drop out./ •/Teenagers who drop out of high school have trouble finding jobs./

[drown one’s sorrows] or [drown one’s troubles] {v. phr.}, {informal} To drink liquor to try to forget something unhappy. •/When his wife was killed in an auto accident, Mr. Green tried to drown his sorrows in whiskey./ •/When Fred lost his job and had to give up his new car, he tried to drown his troubles at the nearest tavern./

[drown one’s troubles] See: DROWN ONE’S SORROWS.

[drown out]{v.} To make so much noise that it is impossible to hear (some other sound). •/The children’s shouts drowned out the music./ •/The actor’s words were drowned out by applause./

[drum up]{v.} 1. To get by trying or asking again and again; attract or encourage by continued effort. •/The car dealer tried to drum up business by advertising low prices./ 2. To invent. •/I will drum up an excuse for coming to see you next week./ Syn.: MAKE UP(2), THINK UP.

[dry] See: CUT AND DRIED, HIGH AND DRY.

[dry behind the ears]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Experienced; knowing how to do something. Usually used in the negative. •/John had just started working for the company, and was not dry behind the ears yet./ Compare: KNOW ONE’S WAY AROUND. Contrast: WET BEHIND THE EARS.

[dry out]{v. phr.} To cure an alcoholic. •/A longtime alcoholic. Uncle Steve is now in the hospital getting dried out./

[dry up]{v.} 1. To become dry. •/The reservoir dried up during the four-month drought./ 2. To disappear or vanish as if by evaporating. •/The Senator’s influence dried up when he was voted out of office./ 3. {slang} To stop talking. — Often used as a command. •/"Dry up!" Tony said angrily when his friend told him for the third time that he had made a mistake in his theme./ Syn.: SHUT UP(1).

[dual highway] See: DIVIDED HIGHWAY.

[duck] See: DEAD DUCK, KNEE HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER or KNEE HIGH TO A DUCK, LAME DUCK, LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK.

[duckling] See: UGLY DUCKLING.

[duck out]{v. phr.} To avoid; escape from something by skillful maneuvering. •/Somehow or other Jack always manages to duck out of any hard work./

[duck soup]{n.}, {slang} 1. A task easily accomplished or one that does not require much effort. •/That history test was duck soup./ 2. A person who offers no resistance; a pushover. •/How’s the new history teacher? — He’s duck soup./

[duddy] See: FUDDY-DUDDY.

[due] See: GIVE ONE’S DUE, GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE, IN DUE COURSE at IN GOOD TIME.

[due to]{prep.} Because of; owing to; by reason of. •/His injury was due to his careless use of the shotgun./ •/Joe’s application to the University was not accepted due to his failing English./

[dull] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.

[dumb bunny]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} Any person who is gullible and stupid. •/Jack is a regular dumb bunny./

[dumbwaiter]{n.} A small elevator for carrying food, dishes, etc., from one floor to another in hotels, restaurants, or large homes. •/The banquet was delayed because the dumbwaiter broke down and the food had to be carried upstairs by hand./

[dumps] See: DOWN IN THE DUMPS or DOWN IN THE MOUTH.

[dust] See: BITE THE DUST, KICK UP A FUSS or KICK UP A DUST, WATCH ONE’S DUST, AFTER THE DUST CLEARS/WHEN THE DUST SETTLES.

[dust off]{v.}, {informal} 1. To get ready to use again. •/Four years after he graduated from school, Tom decided to dust off his algebra book./ 2. To throw a baseball pitch close to. •/The pitcher dusted off the other team’s best hitter./ Syn.: BRUSH BACK.

[Dutch] See: BEAT ALL or BEAT THE DUTCH, GO DUTCH, IN DUTCH.

[dutch treat]{n.}, {informal} A meal in a restaurant or an outing at the movies, concert, or theater where each party pays his or her own way. •/"I am willing to accept your invitation," Mary said, "but it will have to be Dutch treat."/

[duty] See: DO DUTY FOR, DOUBLE DUTY, HEAVY DUTY, OFF DUTY, ON DUTY.

[duty bound]{adj. phr.} Forced to act by what you believe is right. •/Abraham Lincoln walked miles once to return a few pennies that he had overcharged a woman because he felt duty bound to do it./ •/John felt duty bound to report that he had broken the window./

[duty calls]{n. phr.} One must attend to one’s obligations. •/"I’d love to stay and play more poker," Henry said, "but duty calls and I must get back to the office."/

[dwell on] or [dwell upon] {v.} To stay on a subject; not leave something or want to leave; not stop talking or writing about. •/Joe dwelt on his mistake long after the test was over./ •/Our eyes dwelled on the beautiful sunset./ •/The principal dwelled on traffic safety in his talk./ Compare: HARP ON. Contrast: TOUCH ON.

[dyed-in-the-wool]{adj. phr.} Thoroughly committed; inveterate; unchanging. •/He is a died-in-the-wool Conservative Republican./

[dying to]{adj. phr.} Having a great desire to; being extremely eager to. •/Seymour is dying to date Mathilda, but she keeps refusing him./

[each and every]{adj. phr.} Every. — Used for emphasis. •/The captain wants each and every man to be here at eight o’clock./ •/The teacher must learn the name of each and every pupil./ Syn.: EVERY SINGLE.

[each other] or [one another] {pronoun} Each one the other; one the other. •/That man and his wife love each other./ •/Bill and Mary gave one another Christmas presents last year./ •/All the children at the party were looking at one another trying to recognize one another in their masks and costumes./ •/The birds fought each other over the bread./

[eager beaver]{n. phr.}, {slang} A person who is always eager to work or do anything extra, perhaps to win the favor of his leader or boss. •/Jack likes his teacher and works hard for her, but his classmates call him an eager beaver./ •/The man who was promoted to be manager was an eager beaver who got to work early and left late and was always offering to do extra work./

[eagle eye]{n.} Sharp vision like that of an eagle; the ability to notice even the tiniest details. •/The new boss keeps an eagle eye on all aspects of our operation./