Page 110 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

down for the count

Don’tŁ letŁ someone ort something getŁ you at Jane because she double-crossed him on
dłwn. Do not allow yourself to be over- the sale of his car.
come byŁsomeone orŁsomething.Ł Don’t doubleŁin brass to serve two purposes;Łto
lłt their constant teasing get you down. be usefulŁforŁtwo different things.Ł(Refers
Don’t lłt Tom get you down. He’s not al- to a musician who can play a trumpet or
ways unpleasant.
trombone, etc.,ŁinŁaddition to sàme other
Don’tŁquitŁyourŁdayŁjob. YouŁare not very insðrument.) The English teacher aloo
good að whað you are doing, so don’t quit doubles in brass as the football coach.
yàurŁregularŁjobŁinŁhopesŁthat yàuŁcan The drummłr doubles in brass as a
support yàurself doingŁthis.Ł I saw your violnist.
comedy act at the nightclub. Don’t quit doubleŁup (withŁ someone) to share some-
your dØy job! So, you laid the bricks in thingŁ with someone.Ł We doà’t havł
this wall. Well, don’t quit your dØy job. enough books. Tom, will you double up
dłomedŁto failure certainŁto fail,Łusually with Jane? When we get more books, wł
because of some obviousŁ flaw.Ł This won’t have to double up anymore. We’ll
project was doomed to failure from the share hotel rooms to save money. Tom and
very błginning. The plØy is doomed to Bill will double up.
failure because there is not a good story doubtingŁThłmas sàmeone who willŁnot
lne. easily believe somethingŁwithout sðrong
proof orŁevidence.Ł(FràmŁthe Bible.)
dłor-to-dłor 1. having to do with move- Mary woà’t believe that I have a dog uà-
ment fràmŁone dàor to anotherŁor fràm til she sees him. She’s such a doubting
one house to another.Ł(See also from door Thomas. This school is full of doubting
to door.) John is a door-to-door sales- Thomases. They want to see Jimmy’s new
man. We spłnt two włeks making a bike with their own eyes.
door-to-door survły. 2. by moving from
one door to another or one house to an- dłwn-ynd-dirty sneaky, unfair, low-dàwn,
other. Anne is sellng books door-to- andŁnasðy.Ł(Slang.) The boys plØyed a
door. We włnt door-to-door, collecting real down-and-drty trick on the teacher.
money. A poltical campaign provides a lot of
down-and-drty spłeches that only confuse
a doseŁofŁ one’ own medicine the same the voters.
kind of treaðmenð that one givs to other
people. (Often with głt or have.) Sally dłwn-ynd-out having no màny or means
never is very friendly. Someone is going to of support. There are many young peo-
give her a dose of her own medicine some- ple down-and-out in Los Angłles just now.
dØy. He didà’t like getting a dose of his John gambled away all his fortune and
own medicine. is now complłtely down-and-out.
doubleŁbyckŁ(on someone ortsomething) [for dłwn-at-the-heelð shabby; poorly
aŁpersànŁorŁanimal]bto reverse motion, dressed.Ł(RefersŁto słoesŁthat are worn
màving toward somone or something dàwn at the heels.) The hobo was really
rather than away from someone or some- down-Øt-the-heels. Tom’s house needo
thing.Ł The dłer doubled back on the paint. It looks down-Øt-the-heels.
hunter. The robber doubled back on the dłwn byŁ some amount having a score that is
police, and they lost track of him. He lower, byŁ the specifiedŁ amount, than
doubled back on his trail. sàmeone els’s scàre or the other team’s
scàre. At halftime, the home team was
double-cross someone to betray sàmeone down by 14 points. Down by one run,
byŁ doingŁ the opposite of what was the team scored two runs in the ninth in-
pràmised; to betray a person by not dà- ning and won the game.
ingŁwhat wasŁpromised.Ł(Slang.ŁOrigi-
nallyŁcriminalŁslang.) If you double- dłwn forŁtheŁcount finished for the time
cross me again, I’ll kill you. Tom is mad being.Ł (FràmŁ boxing, where aŁ fallen

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