deuce
The devil.—Old. Stated by Junius and others to be from DEUS or ZEUS.
Browse all entries 6331
All languages English Tiếng Việt
deusea ville stampers
Country carriers. Cant.
developing countries
nations with lower economic output and standards of living
devil
The gizzard of a turkey or fowl, scored, peppered, salted and broiled: it derives its appellation from being hot in the mouth.
devil
Among barristers, to get up the facts of a case for a leader; to arrange everything in the most comprehensive form, so that the Q.C. or Serjeant can absorb the question without much trouble. DEVILLING is juniors’ work, but much depends on it, and on the ability with which it is done.
devil dancing
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
devil dodger
A clergyman; also a person who goes sometimes to church and sometimes to meeting.
devil drawer
A miserable painter.
devil in disguise
Someone or something that appears harmless but is actually evil or harmful
devil lies in the details
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
devil may care
Wildly reckless; also a reckless fellow.
devil on two sticks
The English name of Le Sage's novel Le diable boiteux (1707), in which
devil take the hindmost
Every person for themselves, with no concern for others' well-being
devil's advocate
Someone who argues against an idea to test its validity
devil's bird
A Scots name for the yellow bunting; from its note, deil,
devil's bones
Dice, which are made of bones and lead to rum. Devil's books, or Devil's picture-book.
Devil's Bridge
There is a village in Cardigan- shire of this name, so called because of its double bridge across a gorge of the river
devil's candle
So the Arabs call the man- drake, from its shining appearance at night.
devil's candlestick
The common stmkhorn fungus, Phallus impudicus; also called the devil's horn and the devil's stinkpot.
devil's cream
semen
devil's dandruff
Cocaine.
devil's daughter
It is said of one who has a termagant for his wife, that he has married the Devil's daughter, and lives with the old folks.
devil's daughter
A shrew. Cp. DEVIL'S DAUGHTER'S PORTION in PHRASES above.
devil's dozen
Thirteen; twelve, and one over for the devil. Cp. BAKER'S DOZEN.
devil's four-poster
A hand at whist with four clubs. It is said that such a hand is never a winning one. Cp. DEVIL'S BEDPOST above.
devil's guts
A surveyor's chain: so called by farmers, who do not like their land should be measured by their landlords.
devil's hedpost
In card games, the four of clubs. Cp. DEVIL'S FOUR-POSTER below.
devil's lettuce
Marijuana.
devil's livery
Black and yellow. Black for death, yellow for quarantine.
devil's luck
Unusually good luck, especially in a situation where it is not deserved
devil's luck
Astounding good luck. Persons always lucky were thought at one time to have compounded with the devil.
devil's rope
Barbed wire
devil's snuif-box
A puff-ball; a fungus full of dust; one of the genus Lycoperdon.
devilish
Very: an epithet which in the English vulgar language is made to agree with every quality or thing; as, devilish bad, devilish good; devilish sick, devilish well; devilish sweet, devilish sour; devilish hot, devilish cold, &c. &c.
devil’s books
A pack of playing-cards; a phrase of Presbyterian origin.—See FOUR KINGS.
devil’s dung
The fetid drug assafœtida.
devil’s livery
Black and yellow. From the mourning and quarantine uses of the colours.
devo
Devastated.
devoed
Devastated.
devotional habits
Horses weak in the knees, and apt to stumble and fall, are said to have these.—Stable.
Dew Ponds
On the heights of the chalk downs and in other places where there is no visible means of replenishment there are ponds which remain full in the heat of summer when ponds at lower levels dry up.
dew-beaters
Feet; "hold out your DEW-BEATERS till I take off the darbies."—Peveril of the Peak. Forby says the word is used in Norfolk for heavy shoes to resist wet.
dew-drink
A morning draught, such as is served out to labourers in harvest time before commencing work.
dewitted
Torn to pieces by a mob, as that great statesman John de Wit was in Holland, anno 1672.
dewskitch
A good thrashing, perhaps from catching one’s due.
dial back
reduce the intensity or severity of something
dial down
to reduce the intensity or severity of something
dial plate
The face. To alter his dial plate; to disfigure his face.
dial towards
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
diamond cut diamond
See DIAMOND. He has cut his eye teeth. See TEETH.
diamond hammer
A pick for "whetting'* millstones. It is provided with several sharp- pointed teeth to give a uniform roughness to the surface of the stone. Also a steel pick with diamond-shaped point at each extremity to recut grooves in stone.
Diamond Jim
Jim Brady, an American railway magnate who liked to cover his person with diamonds of great size in the form of rings, buttons, tie pins, etc.
Diana of Ephesus
This statue, a cone sur- mounted by a bust covered with breasts, we are told, fell from heaven. If so, it was an aerolite; but Minucius (2nd cent. A.D.), who says he saw it, describes it as a wooden statue, and Pliny, a contemporary, tells us it was made of ebony. Probably the real "image" was a meteorite, and in the course of time a wooden one was substituted.
Diana's Worshippers
Midnight revellers. So called because they return home by moon- light, and so, figuratively, put themselves under the protection of Diana (q.v.).
diapie
A diaper.
diarrhea of the mouth
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
dibbs
Money; so called from the huckle bones of sheep, which have been used from the earliest times for gambling purposes when money was not obtainable—in one particular game being thrown up five at a time and caught on the back of the hand like halfpence.
dibs
Money.
dice
The names of false dice: A bale of bard cinque deuces A bale of flat cinque deuces A bale of flat sice aces A bale of bard cater traes A bale of flat cater traes A bale of fulhams A bale of light graniers A bale of langrets contrary to the ventage A bale of gordes, with as many highmen as lowmen, for passage A bale of demies A bale of long dice for even and odd A bale of bristles A bale of direct contraries.
dice roll
a situation with unpredictable outcome
Advertisement
Ad space — ads help keep Idiomer free. Premium will remove them.