dish (redirected from dishing the dirt)

dish something out 

1. Lit. to serve up food to people. I'll dish it out, and you take it to the table. Careful how you dish out the mashed potatoes. There may not be enough.

2. Fig. to distribute information, news, etc. The press secretaries were dishing reports out as fast as they could write them. The company dishes out propaganda on a regular basis.

3. Fig. to give out trouble, scoldings, criticism, etc. The boss was dishing criticism out this morning, and I really got it. The teacher dished out a scolding to each one who was involved in the prank.

See also: out

dish on someone

Sl. to gossip about or slander someone. Stop dishing on her. She never hurt you! They spent an hour dishing on Wally.

dish the dirt

Sl. to spread gossip; to gossip. Let's sit down, have a drink, and dish the dirt. David goes down to the tavern to dish the dirt.

See also: dirt

do the dishes

to wash the dishes; to wash and dry the dishes, knives, forks, glasses, etc., after a meal. Bill, you cannot go out and play until you've done the dishes. Why am I always the one who has to do the dishes?

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Prov. It is very satisfying to get revenge a long time after the event for which you want revenge. I don't mind waiting to get revenge on Greg; I'll wait ten years if I have to. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

See also: best, cold, revenge, serve

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dish the dirt  (informal)

to tell people unpleasant or shocking personal information about someone (often + on ) Shauna agreed to dish the dirt on her millionaire ex-lover for a fee of £5,000. Some journalists just enjoy dishing the dirt.

See also: dirt

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dish out something

to give something too freely and in large amounts The mayor was famous for dishing out political favors to his pals.

Usage notes: often it is criticism or unfriendly remarks that are dished out: She dished out insults as easily as some of us dish out praise. sometimes appears as the full expression you can dish it out but you can't take it (you can give criticism freely but you cannot deal with it yourself): I try not to argue with him because I know he can dish it out but he can't take it.

Related vocabulary: dish the dirt (on somebody/something)

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of dish out food (to serve food)

See also: out

dish the dirt (on somebody/something)

to talk about other people without worrying about being truthful E-mail us and dish the dirt on anyone – husbands, kids, whoever. Did you know that now astronauts can dish the dirt from space?

Related vocabulary: dish out something

Etymology: based on the phrase dish out food (to serve food ) and dirt (negative information about a person)

See also: dirt