A-Z Database

A-Z Database

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Don’t get your knickers in a knot/twist

see Knickers in a knot/twist


Don’t give a hoot/two hoots

American folksy expression that means not to care dates from the late 19th century and is sometimes encountered in the form of not giving two hoots wh...

Read More


Don’t give a rat’s arse/ass

See Not give a rat's arse/ass


Don’t judge a book by its cover

An adage that means one can never rely on appearances alone, which appears to be of American origin from the late 1920s and rapidly gained acceptance...

Read More


Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself

There is no point in employing someone if you end up doing his or her work. The earliest citation for this adage is c. 1583.


Don’t know from a bar of soap

see Know from a bar of soap


Don’t know squat

see Squat


Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

see Gift horse


Don’t look at me in that tone of voice

Most sources attribute this expression to Punch Magazine in 1884. The exact words were, 'Don’t look at me, sir, with - ah - in that tone of voice', bu...

Read More


Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

see Eggs in one basket


Don’t suffer fools gladly

see Suffer fools gladly


Don’t teach an old dog new tricks

see Teach old dog new tricks


Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs

see Teach your grandmother to suck eggs


Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

see Throw the baby out with the bathwater


Donald Duck

Rhyming slang for fuck, Donald Duck/fuck, dates from the 1930s. In South Africa, to do a Donald means, to do a duck i.e. exit or depart quickly and da...

Read More


back to top