PELATIHAN BAHASA INGGRIS: IDIOMS AND PHRASES (D-G)

Daft as a brush: (UK) Someone who is daft as a brush is rather stupid.
Damp squib: (UK) If something is expected to have a great effect or impact but doesn't, it is a damp squib.
Dancing on someone's grave: If you will dance on someone's grave, you will outlive or outlast them and will celebrate their demise.
Dark horse: If someone is a dark horse, they are a bit of a mystery.
Davey Jones' locker: Davey Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea or resting place of drowned sailors.('Davy Jones' locker' is an alternative spelling.)
Day in the sun: If you have your day in the sun, you get attention and are appreciated.
Daylight robbery: If you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery; open, unfair and hard to prevent. Rip-off has a similar meaning.
Days are numbered: When someone’s days are numbered, they are expected to die soon.
Dead air: When there is a period of total silence, there is dead air.
Dead and buried: If something is dead and buried, it has all long been settled and is not going to be reconsidered.
Dead as a dodo: If something's dead as a dodo, it is lifeless and dull. The dodo was a bird that lived the island of Mauritius. It couldn't fly and was hunted to extinction.
Dead as a doornail: This is used to indicate that something is lifeless.
Dead duck: If something is a dead duck, it is a failure.
Dead even: If people competing are dead even, they are at exactly the same stage or moving at exactly the same speed.
Dead from the neck up: Someone who's dead from the neck up is very stupid indeed.
Dead heat: If a race ends in a dead heat, two or more finish with exactly the same result.
Dead in the water: If something is dead in the water, it isn't going anywhere or making any progress.
Dead level best: If you try your dead level best, you try as hard as you possibly could to do something.
Dead man walking: A dead man walking is someone who is in great trouble and will certainly get punished, lose their job or position, etc, soon.
Dead meat: This is used as a way of threatening someone: You'll be dead meat if you don't go along.
Dead men's shoes: If promotion or success requires replacing somebody, then it can only be reached by dead men's shoes' by getting rid of them.
Dead right: This means that something or someone is absolutely correct, without doubt.
Dead to the world: If somebody's fast asleep and completely unaware of what if happening around them, he or she's dead to the world.
Dead wrong: If someone is dead wrong, they are absolutely in error, absolutely incorrect or of incorrect opinion.
Deaf as a post: Someone who is as deaf as a post is unable to hear at all.
Dear John letter: A letter written by a partner explaining why they are ending the relationship is a Dear John letter.
Death of a thousand cuts: If something is suffering the death of a thousand cuts, or death by a thousand cuts, lots of small bad things are happening, none of which are fatal in themselves, but which add up to a slow and painful demise.
Death warmed up: (UK) If someone looks like death warmed up, they look very ill indeed. ('death warmed over' is the American form)
Decorate the mahogany: (USA) When someone buys a round a pub or bar, they decorate the mahogany; putting cash on the bar.
Deep pockets: If someone has deep pockets, they are wealthy.
Deep pockets but short arms: Someone who has money but never puts his hand in his pocket to pay for anything has deep pockets but short arms.
Deer in the headlights: When one is caught offguard and needs to make a decision, but cannot react quickly.
Deliver the goods: Do what is required, come up to expectations. For example, Kate delivered the goods and got us the five votes we needed. This phrase alludes to delivering an order of groceries or other items. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]
Demon weed: Tobacco is the demon weed.
Derring-do: If a person shows derring-do, they show great courage.
Devil finds work for idle hands: When people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean that if people don't have anything to do with their time, they are more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality.
Devil is in the detail: When people say that the devil in the detail, they mean that small things in plans and schemes that are often overlooked can cause serious problems later on.
Devil may care: If you live a devil-may-care life it means you are willing to take more risks than most people.
Devil's advocate: If someone plays Devil's advocate in an argument, they adopt a position they don't believe in just for the sake of the argument
Diamond in the rough: A diamond in the rough is someone or something that has great potential, but isn't not refined and polished.
Die is cast: If the die is cast, a decision has been made that cannot be altered and fate will decide the consequences.
Different kettle of fish: If something is a different kettle of fish, it is very different from the other things referenced.
Different ropes for different folks: (USA) This idiom means that different people do things in different ways that suit them.
Different strokes for different folks: (USA) This idiom means that different people do things in different ways that suit them.
Dig way down deep: When someone digs way down deep, they look into their inner feelings to see how they feel about it.
Dig your heels in: If you dig your heels in, you start to resist something.
Dime a dozen: (USA) If something is a dime a dozen, it is extremely common, possibly too common.
Dine on ashes: I someone is dining on ashes he or she is excessively focusing attention on failures or regrets for past actions.
Dinosaur: A dinosaur is a person who is thought to be too old for their position.
Dip your toes in the water: If you dip your toes in the water, you try something tentatively because you are not sure whether it will work or not.
Each to their own: Different people have different preferences. In American English, 'Each to his own' is more common.
Eager beaver: A person who is extremely keen is an eager beaver.
Eagle eyes: Someone who has eagle eyes sees everything; no detail is too small.
Early bath: (UK) If someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their job or position earlier than expected because things have gone wrong.
Early bird catches the worm: The early bird catches the worm means that if you start something early, you stand a better chance of success.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise: It means that sleeping well and not staying up late will help you out physically and financially.
Earn a living: To make money Ex: We need to get a good job to earn a decent living.
Easier said than done: If something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than it sounds. It is often used when someone advises you to do something difficult and tries to make it sound easy.
Easy as ABC: Something that is as easy as ABC is very easy or simple.
Easy as beans: Something that is so easy that anyone can do it is easy as beans.
Easy as falling off a log: Something very easy or simple to do is as easy as falling off a log.
Easy as pie: If something is easy as pie, it is very easy indeed.
Easy come, easy go: This idiom means that money or other material gains that come without much effort tend to get spent or consumed as easily.
Easy does it: 'Easy does it' is used to advise someone to approach a task carefully and slowly, especially in spoken English.
Easy peasy: (UK) If something is easy peasy, it is very easy indeed. ('Easy peasy, lemon squeezy' is also used.)
Eat crow: (USA) If you eat crow, you have to admit that you were wrong about something.
Eat humble pie: If someone apologises and shows a lot of contrition for something they have done, they eat humble pie.
Eat like a bird: If someone eats like a bird, they eat very little.
Eat like a horse: Someone who eats like a horse, eats a lot.
Eat like a pig: If some eats like a pig, they either eat too much or they have bad table manners.
Eat my hat: People say this when they don't believe that something is going to happen e.g. 'If he passes that exam, I'll eat my hat!'
Eat someone alive: If you eat someone alive, you defeat or beat them comprehensively.
Eat your heart out: If someone tells you to eat your heart out, they are saying they are better than you at something.
Eat your words: If you eat your words, you accept publicly that you were wrong about something you said.
Economical with the truth: (UK) If someone, especially a politician, is economical with the truth, they leave out information in order to create a false picture of a situation, without actually lying.
Egg on your face: If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed.
Elbow grease: If something requires elbow grease, it involves a lot of hard physical work.
Elbow room: If you haven't got enough elbow room, you haven't got enough space.
Elephant in the room: An elephant in the room is a problem that everyone knows very well but no one talks about because it is taboo, embarrassing, etc.
Eleventh hour: If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens right at the last minute.
Empty vessels make the most noise: The thoughtless often speak the most.
End in smoke: If something ends in smoke, it produces no concrete or positive result. This expression refers to the boasting by a person, of having put in a lot of efforts by him, for a particular cause or to attain a result which is very difficult to be done by any person. (This mainly refers to an investigation of a crime or solving a serious offence or a mystery). But at the end, when the desired result is not obtained, his claims are found to be false and not worth mentioning. So, he looses his credibility.
Etched in stone: Something, especially rules and customs, that cannot be changed at all is said to be etched in stone.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while: This expression means that even if people are ineffective or misguided, sometimes they can still be correct just by being lucky.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day: This is used when people get lucky and are undeservedly successful.('Even a stopped clock is right twice a day' is also used.)
Even keel: If something is on an even keel, it is balanced.
Even Stevens: If everything is equal between people, they are even Stevens.
Even the dogs in the street know: (Irish) This idiom is used frequently in Ireland, and means something is so obvious that even the dogs in the street know it.
Every ass likes to hear himself bray: This means that people like the sound of their own voice.
Every cloud has a silver lining: People sometimes say that every cloud has a silver lining to comfort somebody who's having problems. They mean that it is always possible to get something positive out of a situation, no matter how unpleasant, difficult or even painful it might seem.
Every dog has its day: This idiom means that everyone gets their moment to shine.
Every man and his dog: A lot of people - as in sending out invitations to a large number of people
Every man for himself: If it's every man for himself, then people are trying to save themselves from a difficult situation without trying to help anyone else.
Every man has his price: Anyone's opinion or support can be bought, everyone's principles have a limit.
Every man jack: If every man jack was involved in something, it is an emphatic way of saying that absolutely everybody was involved.
Every nook and cranny: If you search every nook and cranny, you look everywhere for something.
Every Tom, Dick and Harry: If every Tom, Dick and Harry knows about something, then it is common knowledge.
Every trick in the book: If you try every trick in the book, you try every possible way, including dishonesty and deceit, to get what you want.
Everybody and their uncle: This basically means a lot of people or too many people; everybody and their uncle was there.
Everything but the kitchen sink: If people include everything but the kitchen sink, they include every possibility, regardless of whether they are useful.
Face like thunder: If someone has a face like thunder, they are clearly very angry or upset about something.
Face only a mother could love: When someone has a face only a mother could love, they are ugly.
Face the music: If you have to face the music, you have to accept the negative consequences of something you have done wrong.
Face value: If you take something at face value, you accept the appearance rather than looking deeper into the matter.
Face your demons: If you face your demons, you confront your fears or something that you have been trying hard to avoid.
Facts of life: When someone is taught the facts of life, they learn about sex and reproduction.
Failure is the mother of success: Failure is often a stepping stone towards success.
Faint heart never won fair lady: This means that you will not get the partner of your dreams if you lack the confidence to let them know how you feel.
Fair and square: If someone wins something fair and square, they follow the rules and win conclusively.
Fair crack of the whip: (UK) If everybody has a fair crack of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something.
Fair shake of the whip: (USA) If everybody has a fair shake of the whip, they all have equal opportunities to do something.
Fair thee well: Meaning completely and fully: I am tied up today to a fair-thee-well.
Fairweather friend: A fairweather friend is the type who is always there when times are good but forgets about you when things get difficult or problems crop up.
Fall at the first fence: If something falls at the first fence, it goes wrong or fails at the first or an early stage.
Fall at the first hurdle: If something falls at the first hurdle, it goes wrong or fails at the first or an early stage.
Fall by the wayside: To fall by the wayside is to give up or fail before completion.
Fall from grace: If a person falls from grace, they lose favor with someone.
Fall off the back of a lorry: (UK) If someone tries to sell you something that has fallen of the back of a lorry, they are trying to sell you stolen goods.
Fall off the turnip truck: (USA) If someone has just fallen off the turnip truck, they are uninformed, naive and gullible. (Often used in the negative)
Fall off the wagon: If someone falls off the wagon, they start drinking after having given up completely for a time.
Fall on our feet: If you fall on your feet, you succeed in doing something where there was a risk of failure.
Fall on your sword: If someone falls on their sword, they resign or accept the consequences of some wrongdoing.
Familiarity breeds contempt: This means that the more you know something or someone, the more you start to find faults and dislike things about it or them.
Famous last words: This expression is used as a way of showing disbelief, rejection or self-deprecation.'They said we had no chance of winning- famous last words!'
Far cry from: This means that something is very different from something.
Fast and furious: Things that happen fast and furious happen very quickly without stopping or pausing.
Fat cat: A fat cat is a person who makes a lot of money and enjoys a privileged position in society.
Fat chance!: This idiom is a way of telling someone they have no chance.
Fat head: A fat head is a dull, stupid person.
Fat hits the fire: When the fat hits the fire, trouble breaks out.
Fat of the land: Living off the fat of the land means having the best of everything in life.
Fate worse than death: Describing something as a fate worse than death is a fairly common way of implying that it is unpleasant.
Feast today, famine tomorrow: If you indulge yourself with all that you have today, you may have to go without tomorrow.
Feather in your cap: A success or achievement that may help you in the future is a feather in your cap.
Feather your own nest: If someone feathers their own nest, they use their position or job for personal gain.
Feathers fly: When people are fighting or arguing angrily, we can say that feathers are flying.
Fed up to the back teeth: When you are extremely irritated and fed up with something or someone, you are fed up to the back teeth.
Feel at home: If you feel relaxed and comfortable somewhere or with someone, you feel at home.
Feel free: If you ask for permission to do something and are told to feel free, the other person means that there is absolutely no problem
Feel like a million: If you feel like a million, you are feeling very well (healthy) and happy.
Feel the pinch: If someone is short of money or feeling restricted in some other way, they are feeling the pinch.
Feeling blue: If you feel blue, you are feeling unwell, mainly associated with depression or unhappiness.
Feet of clay: If someone has feet of clay, they have flaws that make them seem more human and like normal people.
Feet on the ground: A practical and realistic person has their feet on the ground.
Fence sitter: Someone that try to support both side of an argument without committing to either is a fence sitter.
Fever pitch: When a situation has reached fever pitch, people are extremely excited or agitated.
Few and far between: If things are few and far between, they happen very occasionally.
Fiddle while Rome burns: If people are fiddling while Rome burns, they are wasting their time on futile things while problems threaten to destroy them.
Fifth columnist: (UK) A fifth columnist is a member of a subversive organisation who tries to help an enemy invade.
Fifth wheel: (USA) A fifth wheel is something unnecessary or useless.

Game on: When someone says 'Game on!', it means that they are accepting a challenge or ready to get something done.
Game plan: A game plan is a strategy.
Garbage fee: A garbage fee is a charge that has no value and doesn't provide any real service.
Garbage in, garbage out: If a computer system or database is built badly, then the results will be bad.
Gardening leave: (UK) If someone is paid for a period when they are not working, either after they have given in their notice or when they are being investigated, they are on gardening leave.
Gather pace: If events gather pace, they move faster.
Gather steam: If something gathers speed, it moves or progresses at an increasing speed.
Get a grip: If you get a grip, you control your emotions so that they don't overwhelm you.
Get a handle on: When you get a handle on something, you come to understand it.
Get a sheepskin: Getting a sheepskin (or your sheepskin) means getting a degree or diploma. (Sheepskin refers to the parchment that a degree is printed on- parchment comes from sheepskin.)
Get along famously: If people get along famously, they have an exceedingly good relationship.
Get away scot-free: If someone gets away scot-free, they are not punished when they have done something wrong. ('Get off scot-free' is an alternative.)
Get away with murder: If you get away with murder, you do something bad and don't get caught or punished.('Get away with blue murder' is also used.)
Get back on the horse that bucked you: When you start drinking again after being hungover from drinking the previous night.
Get cracking: To get cracking means to start working on something, usually a job or task with defined parameters.
Get in on the act: If people want to get in on the act, they want to participate in something that is currently profitable or popular.
Get in on the ground floor: If you get in on the ground floor, you enter a project or venture at the start before people know how successful it might be.
Get it in the neck: (UK) If you get it in the neck, you are punished or criticised for something.
Get it off your chest: If you get something off your chest, you confess to something that has been troubling you.
Get my drift: If you get someone's drift, you understand what they are trying to say. ('Catch their drift' is an alternative form.)
Get off the ground: If a project or plan gets off the ground, it starts to be put into operation.
Get on like a house on fire: If people get on like a house on fire, they have a very close and good relationship.
Get on your nerves: If something gets on your nerves, it annoys or irritates you.
Get on your soapbox: If someone on their soapbox, they hold forth (talk a lot) about a subject they feel strongly about.
Get out of bed on the wrong side: If you get out of bed on the wrong side, you wake up and start the day in a bad mood for no real reason.
Get out of your pram: (UK) If someone gets out of their pram, they respond aggressively to an argument or problem that doesn't involve them.
Get the axe: If you get the axe, you lose your job. ('Get the ax' is the American spelling.)
Get the ball rolling: If you get the ball rolling, you start something so that it can start making progress.
Get the green light: If you get the green light to do something, you are given the necessary permission, authorisation.
Get the hang of it: When you get the hang of something, you are familiar with it and know how to do it.
Get the lead out: This is used to tell someone to hurry up.
Get the monkey off your back: If you get the monkey off your back, you pass on a problem to someone else.
Get the nod: (UK) If you get the nod to something, you get approval or permission to do it.
Get the picture: If you get the picture, you understand a situation fully.
Get the show on the road: If you get the show on the road, you put a plan into operation or begin something.
Get to grips: If you get to grips with something, you take control and do it properly.
Get up and go: If someone has lots of get up and go, they have lots of enthusiasm and energy.
Get wind of: If you get wind of something, you hear or learn about it, especially if it was meant to be secret.
Get your ducks in a row: If you get your ducks in a row, you organise yourself and your life.
Get your feathers in a bunch: If you get your feathers in a bunch, you get upset or angry about something.
Get your feet wet: If you get your feet wet, you gain your first experience of something.
Get your goat: If something gets your goat, it annoys you.
Get your hands dirty: If you get your hands dirty, you become involved in something where the realities might compromise your principles. It can also mean that a person is not just stuck in an ivory tower dictating strategy, but is prepared to put in the effort and hard work to make the details actually happen.
Get your head around something: If you get your head around something, you come to understand it even though it is difficult to comprehend.
Get your skates on: This is used as a way of telling people to hurry up.
Get your teeth into: If you get your teeth into something, you become involved in or do something that is intellectually challenging or satisfying. ('Dig you teeth into' and 'sink your teeth into' are also used.)
Get your wires crossed: If people get their wires cross, they misunderstand each other, especially when making arrangements. ('Get your lines crossed' is also used.)
Ghost of a chance: If something or someone hasn't got a ghost of a chance, they have no hope whatsoever of succeeding.
Ghostly presence: You can feel or otherwise sense a ghostly presence, but you cannot do it clearly only vaguely.
Gift of the gab: If someone has the gift of the gab, they speak in a persuasive and interesting way.

PELATIHAN BAHASA INGGRIS

Rabu, 15 Juni 2011

IDIOMS AND PHRASES (D-G)

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