dog’s ear—a corner of a page turned down to serve as a book-mark: The book was well-thumbed, with dog’s ears and little slips of paper in it. pig’s ear—(coll., in the phrase “make a pig’s ear of something”) make a mess of smth.; do a task badly: “I’ve made a real pig’s ear of it, […]
Difference between Dog’s dinner and Duck’s dinner
dog’s dinner—(sl.) an untidy mess; a distasteful combination (also: dog’s breakfast): North End is a dog’s dinner of hovels, dives and drinking dens. duck’s dinner—(Austral. sl.) no dinner at all; a drink of water, with nothing to eat: “Make sure he has more than duck’s dinner, okay?” “What?” “He should eat.”
Difference between Dog’s body and Dogsbody
dog’s body— 1. the complete material structure of a dog: A general knowledge of your dog’s body and how it functions will prove helpful in his daily care. 2. the physical remains of a dead dog: The dog’s body remained floating in the canal waters over the weekend. dogsbody—(coll.) a person who carries out menial […]
Difference between Doggone and Gone to the dogs
doggone —(coll.) 1. extremely (used as an intensifier): You don’t expect these tools to be perfect … but the price is doggone good! 2. (in the phrase “I’ll be doggone”) used as an exclamation of annoyance: I’ll be doggone if I am going to stand in the path of small businesses. gone to the dogs […]
Difference between Dog show and Dog’s show
dog show—a display of dogs: There has been a mania for shows; we have had dog shows, donkey shows, and last, not least, horse shows. dog’s show—(coll., usually negat.) the poorest chance: Analysts will discover whether or not this coup has even a dog’s show of succeeding.
Difference between Dog salmon and Dogfish
dog salmon—a salmon of Western North America (Oncorhynchus keta): The meat of the dog salmon is palatable when fresh or smoked. dogfish— 1. various small sharks, chiefly of the family Squalidae, of Atlantic and Pacific coastal waters: The spiny dogfish shark travels in packs. 2. a bony freshwater fish (Amia calva) of central and eastern […]
Difference between Dog man and Hot dog man
dog man— 1. a man in charge of dogs: It is an error of modern dog men to wean puppies too soon. 2. (also: dog person) a man who is characterized by a preference or liking for dogs: I do not particularly care for cats—more of a dog man. hot dog man—a man selling hot […]
Difference between Dog Latin and Pig Latin
dog Latin—bad or inferior Latin: They [speeches] are chiefly made up of extracts from the common school collection … sprinkled with scraps of dog Latin. pig Latin—a jargon formed by rearranging the syllables in a word: The great thing about speaking pig Latin is that it’s not simply a question of learning a new vocabulary. […]
Difference between Dog-house and Dog’s home
dog-house— 1. a dog kennel: Heidi the rottweiler was in the doghouse yesterday after she stopped firemen reaching a kitchen blaze. 2. (sl.) bass viol: You will not find the language which was attached to jazz in the first spate of magazine articles—no “dog-house” for bass. 3. a small structure of a shape suggesting a […]
Difference between Dog days, the and Three dog nights
dog days, the—(also: dog days of summer, the) the hot, sultry period of summer (between early July and early September): During the dog days, air-conditioners are running full-time. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase dog’s life—a wretched unpleasant existence: I never knew a sailor yet who wouldn’t tell you sailoring was […]
Difference between Dog and pony show and Show pony
dog and pony show—an elaborate presentation of a new product, program, etc. designed to impress an audience: They did a “dog and pony show” for all the faculty and handed out a survey to gauge interest. show pony—(UK coll.) an attractive fashionable person, especially a performer who enjoys being in the limelight: While on tour, […]
Difference between Doctor’s orders and Just what the doctor ordered
doctor’s orders—said of smth. that one is strongly advised to do or of an order which cannot be evaded: No one will be admitted. “Doctor’s orders,” they will be told. just what the doctor ordered—that’s exactly what is wanted or needed: The waiter brought her a drink. “Just what the doctor ordered,” she said, smiling […]