Doomsday is the last day of existence for the world. In Christianity, doomsday is the day of the Last Judgement. Doomsday is also used as a modifier to indicate a dangerous or disastrous time. The word doomsday is derived from the Old English words dōmes meaning doom and dæg which means day. Domesday is a proper noun that is used to describe a certain document known as the Domesday Book. The Domesday Book is an enormous survey that was ordered …
Dire means extremely urgent, severe or serious. Dire also means something ominous or foreboding, predicting disaster. Dire is an adjective, related words are direly and direness. The word dire is derived from the Latin word dirus which means, awful, fearful, or threatening. A dyer is someone who makes his living staining clothing or other fabrics with color. Related words are dye, dyes, dyed, dyeing, and dyable. The word dyer is derived from the Old English words deah and deag, which …
The decathlon is a summer sporting event that consists of ten track and field events over two days. The events in the decathlon are held in this order: 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110 meters hurdle, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, 1500 meters. The Olympic decathlon is a male event, the winner is often considered the unofficial greatest all-around athlete in the world. The modern Olympic decathlon was first run at the 1912 games. …
Welcome to the main event! Today, I’ll be breaking down all the details surrounding the age-old phrase dog and pony show. What does it mean? Is there popcorn? I’m afraid not. But there is plenty of knowledge to munch on, so let’s get started! Horse and Pony Show vs. Dog and Pony Show First things first, let’s clear up some confusion. We’re talking about a dog and pony show, not a horse and pony show. Both phrases might conjure up …
A diamond in the rough is someone who has potential, a person who will achieve success with the right care and polish. When a diamond is found in nature or in the rough, it needs the right care, cut and polish in order to achieve its potential. A diamond in the rough is a metaphor, or a figure of speech that is symbolic of an abstract idea. There is a similar saying in Japanese, tama migakasareba hikari nashi, which translates …
Delusions of grandeur is a phrase that describes someone who has an inflated view of his importance, someone who believes that he is more powerful than he really is. The term delusions of grandeur originated some time in the mid-1800s to describe someone who is mentally imbalanced, someone who believes that he is more important, powerful or successful than he really is. Today we know that such grandiose delusions are often a symptom of schizophrenia, narcissism, bipolar disorder and other …
Dumpster fire describes a situation which has been terribly mishandled, resulting in a disastrously chaotic outcome. Dumpster fire describes a situation that is already a mess, then is made worse by being set afire, figuratively. The origin of the term dumpster fire is uncertain. Many believe that it was first used on American sports talk radio around 2009, though a 2003 movie review in The Arizona Republic uses the term to mean something “stinky but insignificant”. The term dumpster fire …
A dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a book, play or movie or a conversation between two or more people in real life, especially when they are working together on a particular project or problem. In North America, dialogue is also used as a verb to mean to take part in a conversation in order to work toward a resolution of a particular problem or particular project. Related words are dialogues, dialogued, dialoguing. Dialog is an …
Dollars to doughnuts means something that is certain. The phrase dollars to doughnuts is an American idiom that originated in the middle 1800s and is still mostly seen in American English. The idea behind the shorthand phrase dollars to doughnuts is the sentiment that the speaker is so confident that he is right about something, he will put forth his dollars against the listener’s doughnuts in a wager, the dollars having much higher value than the doughnuts. The idiom dollars …
Definite means unambiguous, certain, precisely defined, clear, undeniable, known for certain. Definite also means having exact boundaries or limits. Definite comes from the Latin word definitus, which means limited, defined, with boundaries. Definite is an adjective, related words are definitely and definiteness. Definitive means a final or ultimate conclusion, a final or ultimate agreement, the most authoritative, something that is conclusive. The word definitive differs from the word definite in that definitive means the most complete or authoritative, if something …