[double duty]{n.} Two uses or jobs; two purposes or duties.•/Matthew does double duty. He’s the janitor in the morning and gardener inthe afternoon./ •/Our new washer does double duty; it washes the clothesand also dries them./

[double-header]{n.} Two games or contests played one right after theother, between the same two teams or two different pairs of teams. •/TheYankees and the Dodgers played a double-header Sunday afternoon./ •/We wentto a basketball double-header at Madison Square Garden and saw Seton Hall playSt. John’s and N.Y.U. play Notre Dame./

[double nickel]{adv.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon}The nationally enforced speed limit on some highways — 55 MPH. •/We’d bettergo double nickel on this stretch, partner; there’s a bear in the air./

[double-park]{v.} To park a car beside another car which is at thecurb. •/Jimmy’s father double-parked his car and the police gave him aticket./ •/If you double-park, you block other cars from passing./

[double-talk]{n.} 1. Something said that is worded, either on purposeor by accident, so that it may be understood in two or more different ways.•/The politician avoided the question with double-talk./ 2. Something saidthat does not make sense; mixed up talk or writing; nonsense. •/The man’sexplanation of the new tax bill was just a lot of double-talk./

[double up]{v.} 1. To bend far over forward. •/Jim was hit by thebaseball and doubled up with pain./ 2. To share a room, bed, or home withanother. •/When relatives came for a visit, Ann had to double up with hersister./

[doubt] See: GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, NO DOUBT.

[do up]{v.} 1a. To clean and prepare for use or wear; launder. •/Annasked her mother to do up her dress./ 1b. To put in order; straighten up;clean. •/At camp the girls have to do up their own cabins./ 2. To tie up orwrap. •/Joan asked the clerk to do up her purchases./ 3a. To set and fasten(hair) in place. •/Grace helped her sister to do up her hair./ Compare: PUTUP. 3b. {informal} To dress or clothe. •/Suzie was done up in her finenew skirt and blouse./

[do up brown]{v. phr.}, {slang} To do in a thorough or completeway. •/When Jim does a job, he does it up brown./

[do well by]{v. phr.} To benefit; help; treat exceptionally well.•/In his will Grandpa did well by all of his grandchildren and left each ofthem one million dollars./

[do with]{v.} 1. To find enough for one’s needs; manage. — Usuallyfollows "can". •/Some children can do with very little spending money./Compare: GET ALONG, MAKE DO. 2. To make use of; find useful or helpful. — Follows "can" or "could". •/After a hard day’s work, a man can do with agood, hot meal./ •/After cleaning out the basement, the boy could do with abath./

[do without] or [go without] {v.} 1. To live or work without(something you want); manage without. •/Ann said that she likes candy, butcan do without it./ •/We had to go without hot food because the stove wasbroken./ 2. To live or work without something you want; manage. •/If Georgecannot earn money for a bicycle, he will have to do without./ Compare: GETALONG, GET BY.

[down and out]{adj. phr.} Without money; without a job or home; broke.•/Poor Sam lost his job after his wife had left him; he is really down andout./

[down-and-outer]{n. phr.} A person who has lost everything and ispenniless. •/Joe goes from shelter to shelter asking for food and a place tosleep; he’s become a regular down-and-outer./

[down-at-heel] or [down-at-the-heel] or [down-at-the-heels]{adj.} Poorly kept up or dressed shabby; not neat; sloppy. •/John isalways down-at-the-heels, but his sister is always very neat./ •/Old housessometimes look down-at-the-heel./

[down east] or [Down East] {n.} The northeast coastal part of theUnited States and part of Canada; especially: the coastal parts of Maine.•/Many people in Boston like to go down east for their summer vacation./Compare: I WOULDN’T DO IT FOR A FARM DOWN EAST.

[down in the dumps] or [down in the mouth] {adj. phr.},{informal} Sad or discouraged; gloomy; dejected. •/The boys werecertainly down in the dumps when they heard that their team had lost./

[down on]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Having a grudge against; angryat. •/John is down on his teacher because she gave him a low grade./

[down one’s alley] or [up one’s alley] {adj. phr.}, {slang}Suited to your tastes and abilities; what you like or like to do. •/Baseballis right down Jim’s alley./ Compare: CUP OF TEA.

[down one’s neck] See: BREATHE DOWN ONE’S NECK.

[down one’s nose] See: LOOK DOWN ONE’S NOSE.

[down one’s throat] See: JUMP DOWN ONE’S THROAT, SHOVE DOWN ONE’S THROAT orRAM DOWN ONE’S THROAT.

[down on one’s luck]{adj.}, {informal} Having bad luck; havingmuch trouble; not successful in life. •/Harry asked me to lend him tendollars, because he was down on his luck./ •/The teacher is easy on Janebecause Jane has been down on her luck lately./ Compare: HARD ROW TO HOE,HARD SLEDDING, ON ONE’S UPPERS.

[down payment]{n.} A retainer paid to a prospective seller. •/Howmuch of a down payment do you require for this new car?/

[down the drain]{adj.} or {adv. phr.}, {informal} Wasted;lost. •/It is money down the drain if you spend it all on candy./ •/Ourplans to go swimming went down the drain when it rained./ Compare: GO BY THEBOARD.

[down the hatch!]{v. phr.}, {informal} Let us drink! •/When wecelebrated Mom’s birthday, we all raised our glasses and cried in unison, "Downthe hatch!"/

[down the line]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. Down the road or street;straight ahead. •/The church is down the line a few blocks./ 2. All theway; completely; thoroughly. •/Bob always follows the teacher’s directionsright down the line./

[down-to-earth]{adj.} Showing good sense; practical. •/Thecommittee’s first plan for the party was too fancy, but the second was moredown-to-earth./ •/Mr. Jenkins never seems to know what is happening aroundhim, but his wife is friendly and down-to-earth./ Compare: COME BACK TOEARTH.

[down to the wire]{adj.}, {slang} 1. Running out of time, nearinga deadline. •/Bob is down to the wire on his project./ 2. Being financiallyalmost broke, being very low on cash or other funds. •/We can’t afford goingto a restaurant tonight — we’re really down to the wire!/

[down with a disease]{adj. phr.} Ill or sick. •/Aunt Liz is downwith the flu this week; she has to stay in bed./

[dozen] See: BY THE DOZEN, DAILY DOZEN, DIME A DOZEN, SIX OF ONE ANDHALF-A-DOZEN OF THE OTHER.

[drag in]{v.} To insist on bringing (another subject) into adiscussion; begin talking about (something different.) •/No matter what wetalk about, Jim drags in politics./ •/Whenever anyone mentions travel,Grace has to drag in the trip to Mexico she took ten years ago./

[drag on] or [drag out] {v.} 1. To pass very slowly. •/The coldwinter months dragged on until we thought spring would never come./ 2. Toprolong; make longer. •/The meeting would have been over quickly if themembers had not dragged out the argument about dues./