dead money—money invested in unsold products which cannot therefore be used: This will tell you how much “dead money” is tied up in the three products. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase dead rent—a fixed rent for a mining concession, etc.: A claim for an increase in the amount of […]
Difference between Dead man and Dead soldier
dead man— 1. an object buried in the ground and used as an anchorage: A deck hand was killed by being struck on the head by a “dead man.” 2. (sl.) an empty liquor bottle: I returned to my table and finished my drink. When the owner appeared again I asked if I could help […]
Difference between Dead loss and Total loss
dead loss— 1. said of smth. totally unsuccessful: The defense budget was not a dead loss: the economies of South Africa and Namibia got a shot in the arm as a result of this. 2. (coll.) said of a person who is quite worthless: We’d better fire Smith now—he’s a dead loss. total loss—(Insurance) an […]
Difference between Dead line and Deadline
dead line— 1. an article which a shopkeeper has stopped dealing in because customers have no more interest in it: Silk stockings have been a dead line for years and years, Madam! 2. (also: dead wire) a cable through which no electricity passes: It was as if she had been calling on a dead line […]
Difference between Dead house and Death house
dead house— 1. (dated) a mortuary; a morgue: When they reached the Ferry Beach they made all speed to the hospital and to the “dead house,” which held seven coffins. 2. (sl.) an uninhabited house: We thought it was a “dead” house, but we walked into a girl’s room and she squealed. death house—(U.S. Prison) […]
Difference between Dead heat and Deadly heat
dead heat—said of a race in which competitors finish at the same time: The horses came to the finish in a dead heat, and, without a photograph, the results were too close to call. deadly heat—extreme or excessive heat: These times of deadly heat demand all of our concern and commitment to prevent heat-related tragedies.
Difference between Dead head and Death’s head
dead head— 1. (coll.) a person who contributes nothing to an enterprise or activity; a non–fare-paying passenger, etc.: “No more dead-heads,” Mr. Skinner warned. “Hereafter, pay for your guests.” 2. a dead flower that has become withered and faded: The culling of dead heads is a ploy that figures persistently in the garden in summer. […]
Difference between Dead hand and Dead man’s hand
dead hand— 1. the influence of the past regarded as controlling the present: The dead hand of vanished generations of historians has determined beyond possibility of appeal the pattern of the past. 2. (coll.) an expert at doing smth.: Firstrate work it was, too; he was always a dead hand at splitting. Note: The expression […]
Difference between Dead fire and Death-fire
dead fire— 1. extinguished or extinct fire: Mr. Evans was sitting there, staring at the dead fire, the poker in his hand. 2. (also: St. Elmo’s fire) a naturally occurring electrical discharge, usually in stormy weather: We looked up, and saw a dead-fire sticking to the cross-trees of the mast. death-fire— 1. a fire causing […]
Difference between Dead end and Living end
dead end— 1. an end of a passage, such as a street or pipe, that affords no exit: The passage was a dead end. Ten meters in front of her, a solid stone wall stood, trapping her. 2. a point beyond which no progress can be made: The project turned out to be a dead […]
Difference between Dead bird and Dead pigeon
dead bird—(Austral. sl.) a sure thing; a certainty: I used to prowl where jockeys herd, And tipped them for a sure “dead bird.” dead pigeon—(sl., also: dead duck) 1. a person or thing regarded as useless or a failure: The Dominion Stores Ltd. was a dead pigeon and everyone knew it. 2. a dead person: […]
Difference between Dead beat and Deadbeat
dead beat—(also: dead beaten) extremely tired: It took me a very short time to get between the blankets, and soon I was asleep, for I was dead beat after my ride. deadbeat—(sl.) 1. an idler who is not working or looking for a job: Al was a deadbeat barely on the right side of the […]