(as) hot as the dickens
old-fashioned slang Extremely and uncomfortably hot. On summer days in Texas, when it's hot as the dickens outside, there's nothing quite like a tall glass of sweet tea. I hate working in the theme park during the summer because it's as hot as the dickens in the costumes they make us wear. It's hot as the dickens in here! Why don't you have the air conditioner on?
dickens
1. The devil. Typically used as an intensifier. What the dickens is going on in here? I heard that loud bang all the way down the hall. Ouch, I banged my elbow off the table. That hurts like the dickens! We've been working like the devil to get the update finished before the Christmas break.
2. A mischievous child. A: "Ella just pulled over a chair so she could reach the cookies on the high shelf." B: "Boy, she's a clever little dickens, that's for sure." A: "Look at this sneaky dickens!" B: "How did he just climb out of his playpen like that?" And who is this handsome little dickens trying to get at the wedding cake? Are you the ring bearer?
go to hell
1. rude slang An expression of angry dismissal or contempt. How can you say such an awful thing to me? Go to hell! Go to hell, all right? I don't need this aggravation. A: "Yikes, what did you do to your hair?" B: "Oh, go to hell!"
2. verb To deteriorate to a state of extreme disorder, corruption, or depravity. The whole department has gone to hell ever since you stepped down as manager. With the way he's running things, the company is going to hell! After our funding was cut, our project went right to hell.
go to the devil
1. verb To be in an extremely and increasingly bad or ruinous condition; to be on the inevitable path to utter failure or ruin. Our project went to the devil after our funding was cut. With the way he's running things, the company is going to the devil. This whole presentation is a disaster—it went to the devil as soon as Mia resigned.
2. verb To fall into moral degradation. It seems like our country is going to the devil! No one has any basic decency anymore. Don't mind your grandmother—as far as she's concerned, everything went to the devil in the 1960s. Mom, the kids will not go to the devil just because they missed one Mass, OK?
3. expression An exclamation of anger, annoyance, or exasperation. If you can't be bothered to run our business like a professional, then you can go to the devil, for all I care! Did you just insult my mom? Well, you can go to the devil then! Go to the devil already, will ya? You're annoying us.
go to the dickens
1. verbTo be in an extremely and increasingly bad or ruinous condition; to be on the inevitable path to utter failure or ruin. Our project went to the dickens after our funding was cut. With the way he's running things, the company is going to the dickens. This whole presentation is a disaster—it went to the dickens as soon as Mia resigned.
2. verb To fall into moral degradation. It seems like our country is going to the dickens! No one has any basic decency anymore. Don't mind your grandmother—as far as she's concerned, everything went to the dickens in the 1960s. Mom, the kids will not go to the dickens just because they missed one Mass, OK?
3. expression An exclamation of anger, annoyance, or exasperation. If you can't be bothered to run our business like a professional, then you can go to the dickens, for all I care! Did you just insult my mom? Well, you can go to the dickens then! Go to the dickens already, will ya? You're annoying us.
hurt like the dickens
colloquial To hurt very badly. Ouch, I just banged my elbow on the table. That hurts like the dickens! The tetanus shot hurt like the dickens at first, but the pain went away pretty quickly. Have you ever closed the door on your finger? Well, let me tell you, it hurts like the dickens!
like the devil
An intensifier used when one puts forth great effort to do something. I'm planning to fight like the devil against this illness, so I'm researching both Western and Eastern methods of treatment. We've been working like the devil to get the update finished before the Christmas break.
like the dickens
An intensifier used when one puts forth great effort to do something. I'm planning to fight like the dickens against this illness, so I'm researching both Western and Eastern methods of treatment. We've been working like the dickens to get the update finished before the Christmas break.
raise the dickens
To cause or get into trouble; to engage in unrestrained and excessively disruptive behavior. I started raising the dickens as soon as I was in college and could do what I wanted, but I mellowed out after I graduated. The customer has been raising the dickens about the service charge we included on his bill.
raise the dickens with (someone or something)
1. To cause a lot of serious issues or disruptions for someone or something. The road closures have raised the dickens with rush-hour traffic. The blizzard is raising the dickens with travelers flying in and out of the region.
2. To make a lot of angry, vocal complaints with someone or some group, department, organization, etc. There's been one customer raising the dickens with our customer service team for the last week over some issue with his software. The problem isn't going to go away on its own—you need to go raise some the dickens with your boss or the head of HR.
run like the dickens
old-fashioned To use all of one's power or effort while running. ("Dickens" is an informal name for the devil.) I ran like the dickens to get away from the barking dog. He only scored that inside-the-park home run because he ran like the dickens around the bases.
scare the dickens out of (one)
To shock or frighten one very suddenly or severely. "Dickens" is a euphemism for "devil." Don't sneak up on me like that—you scared the dickens out of me! The sound of the fire alarm scared the dickens out of us this morning.
what (in) the dickens
An exclamation used to emphasize surprise, shock, or bafflement. Just what the dickens is going on here? What in the dickens? I just put my sandwich down, and now it's gone!
work like the dickens
To put forth a huge and continual amount of effort. "The dickens" is a euphemism for "the devil." We've been working like the dickens to get the update finished before the Christmas break. School never came easy to me, so I had to work like the dickens to get my undergraduate degree.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
go to hell
and go to (the devil) 1. Inf. to go to hell and suffer the agonies therein. (Often a command. Caution with hell.) Oh, go to hell! Go to hell, you creep!
2. Inf. to become ruined; to go away and stop bothering someone. (Use hell with caution.) This old house is just going to hell. It's falling apart everywhere. Leave me alone! Go to the devil! Oh, go to, yourself!
*like the devil
and *like the dickens; *like hellFig. with a fury; in a great hurry; with a lot of activity. (*Typically: fight ~; run ~; scream ~; thrash around~.) We were working like the dickens when the rain started and made us quit for the day.
raise the dickens (with someone or something)
to act in some extreme manner; to make trouble; to behave wildly; to be very angry. John was out all night raising the dickens. That cheap gas I bought really raised the dickens with my car's engine.
What (in) the devil?
and What (in) the dickens?Inf. What has happened?; What? (Often with the force of an exclamation.) What in the devil? Who put sugar in the salt shaker? What the dickens? Who are you? What are you doing in my room?
What the devil?
and What the fuck?; What the hell?; What the shit?What has happened?; What? (Often with the force of an exclamation. What the fuck? and What the shit? are taboo.) What the devil? Who put sugar in the salt shaker? What the fuck? Who are you? What are you doing in my room? What the shit are you doing here? You're supposed to be at work.
You scared the hell out of me.
and You scared the crap out of me.; You scared the dickens out of me.; You scared the devil out of me.; You scared me out of my wits.; You scared the pants off (of) me.You frightened me very badly. (Also with subjects other than second person. Of is usually retained before pronouns.) He scared the hell out of all of us. She really scared the pants off of me.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.