[cut to the bone]{v. phr.} To make (something) the least or smallest possible amount; reduce severely; leave out everything extra or unnecessary from. •/Father cut Jane’s allowance to the bone for disobeying him./ •/When father lost his job, our living expenses had to be cut to the bone./

[cut to the quick]{v. phr.} To hurt someone’s feelings deeply. •/The children 's teasing cut Mary to the quick./

[cut two ways] See: CUT BOTH WAYS.

[cut up]{v.} 1. {informal} To hurt the feelings of; wound.?—?Usually used in the passive. •/John was badly cut up when Susie gave him back his ring./ 2. {slang} To act funny or rough; clown, •/Joe would always cut up if there were any girls watching./ •/At the party Jim and Ron were cutting up and broke a chair./ Compare: FOOL AROUND.

[dab] See: SMACK-DAB or SMACK-TO DAB.

[dagger] See: CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, LOOK DAGGERS.

[daily dozen]{n.}, {informal} Gymnastic exercises; especially, several different exercises done daily. •/The boys did their daily dozen early each morning./

[daisy] See: PUSH UP DAISIES.

[dam] See: WATER OVER THE DAM.

[damn] See: GIVE A HANG, NOT WORTH A TINKER’S DAMN.

[damned if one does, damned if one doesn’t]{adj. phr.} No matter what one does, someone is likely to criticize one. •/No matter what decisions I make, there are always some people who will approve them and those who won’t. It is a classical case of "damned if I do, damned if I don’t."/

[dance] See: SONG AND DANCE.

[dance to another tune]{v. phr.} To talk or act differently, usually better because things have changed; be more polite or obedient because you are forced to do it. •/Johnny refused to do his homework but punishment made him dance to another tune./ Compare: CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.

[dander] See: GET ONE’S BACK UP, GET ONE’S DANDER UP or GET ONE’S IRISH UP.

[dandy] See: JIM-DANDY.

[dangerous] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.

[dare say]{v. phr.} To think probable; suppose; believe.?—?Used in first person. •/Mary is unhappy now but I dare say she will be laughing about this tomorrow./ •/There is no more ice cream on the table, but I dare say we can find some in the kitchen./

[dare one to do something]{v. phr.} To challenge someone to do something. •/"I dare you to jump off that rock into the sea," Fred said to Jack./

[dark] See: IN THE DARK, SHOT IN THE DARK, WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

[darken one’s door] or [darken the door] To appear, as in a doorway; enter someone’s home or establishment.?—?Used in negative imperative sentences especially with "never" and "again". •/If you leave this house now, never darken my door again./ •/After a son shamed his father by having to go to prison, the father told him never to darken his door again./

[dark horse]{n.}, {informal} A political candidate little known to the general voting public; a candidate who was not expected to run. •/Every once in a while a dark horse candidate gets elected President./

[dark of the moon]{n. phr.}, {literary} A time when the moon is not shining or cannot be seen. •/A was the dark of the moon when the scouts reached camp and they had to use flashlights to find their tents./ Contrast: FULL OF THE MOON.

[dash cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.

[dash light]{n.} A light on the front inside of a car or vehicle. •/Henry stopped the car and turned on the dash lights to read the road map./

[dash off]{v.} To make, do, or finish quickly; especially, to draw, paint, or write hurriedly. •/Ann took out her drawing pad and pencil and dashed off a sketch of the Indians./ •/John can dash off several letters while Mary writes only one./ •/Charles had forgotten to write his English report and dashed it off just before class./

[date] See: DOUBLE-DATE, TO DATE.

[date back]{v. phr.} To go back to a given period in the past. •/My ancestors date back to the sixteenth century./

[dawn on]{v.} To become clear to. •/It dawned on Fred that he would fail the course if he did not study harder./

[day] See: ALL IN A DAY’S WORK, CALL IT A DAY, CARRY THE DAY, EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY, FATHER’S DAY, FOREVER AND A DAY, GOOD DAY, MAKE A DAY OF IT, NAME DAY, NIGHT AND DAY, ONE OF THESE DAYS, or SOME OF THESE DAYS, PASS THE TIME OF DAY, RAINY DAY, SAVE THE DAY, SEE BETTER DAYS, THAT’LL BE THE DAY.

[day and night] or [night and day] {adv.} 1. For days without stopping; continually. Syn.: AROUND THE CLOCK. •/Some filling stations on great highways are open day and night 365 days a year./ •/The three men took turns driving the truck, and they drove night and day for three days./ 2. Every day and every evening. •/The girl knitted day and night to finish the sweater before her mother’s birthday./

[day by day]{adv.} Gradually. •/The patient got better day by day./

[day in and day out] or [day in, day out] {adv. phr.} Regularly; consistently; all the time; always. •/He plays good tennis day in and day out./?—?Also used with several other time words in place of day: week, month, year. •/Every summer, year in, year out, the ice cream man comes back to the park./

[day in court]{n. phr.} A chance to be heard; an impartial hearing; a chance to explain what one has done. •/The letters from the faculty members to the dean gave Professor Smith his day in court./

[daylight] See: SCARE OUT OF ONE’S WITS or SCARE THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF, SEE DAYLIGHT.

[daylight saving time] also [daylight saving] or [daylight time] or [fast time] {n.} A way of keeping time in summer that is one or two hours ahead of standard time.?—?Abbreviation DST. •/Many places in the United States keep their clocks on daylight saving time in the summer; in this way people get up earlier and have more free time in the afternoon and evening while it is still daylight./ •/Father said that next week it will get dark later because we will change to daylight saving lime./ •/We go off daylight saving in the fall./ Compare: CENTRAL TIME. Contrast: STANDARD TIME.

[daylight robbery] See: HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

[daydream]{v.} To spend time in reverie; be absentminded during the day. •/John spends so much time daydreaming that he never gets anything done./

[day of grace]{n. phr.} An extension period after the due date of some contract or bond. •/The premium is due on the first of each month, but they allow ten days of grace./

[day of reckoning]{n. phr.} 1. A time when one will be made to account for misdeeds. •/When the criminal was caught and brought to trial his victims said, "finally, the day of reckoning has come."/ 2. A time when one’s will and Judgment are severely tested. •/"You always wanted to run the department," the dean said to Professor Smith. "Now here is your chance; this is your day of reckoning."/

[day off]{n.} A day on which one doesn’t have to work, not necessarily the weekend. •/Monday is his day off in the restaurant, because he prefers to work on Saturdays and Sundays./

[day-to-day]{adj.} Daily; common; everyday. •/For best results, students' homework should be checked on a day-to-day basis./