drag (redirected from drags down)

(a) drag

(on someone ) a burden (to someone). I wish you wouldn 't be such a drag on your friends. I don't want to be a drag on the department.

drag

someone or something on(to) something and drag someone or something on*to pull or lead someone or something to a particular place, such as a stage, platform, dance floor, etc. The master of ceremonies dragged her onto the stage for another bow. Then he dragged on the next performer.

drag something away (from something ) and drag something away

to push or pull something away from something or some place. He dragged the sofa away from the wall so he could clean behind it. He had to drag away the sofa in order to plug in the lamp. We worked together to drag it away.

See also: away

dragged out

Sl. exhausted; worn out. I feel so dragged out. I think I need some sleep. After the game, the whole team was dragged out.

See also: out

in drag

wearing the clothing of the opposite sex. (Usually refers to a man wearing women's clothing.) Two actors in drag did a skit about life on the farm. Gary looks better in drag than he does in a suit.

knock-down, drag-out fight

a serious fight; a serious argument. Boy, they really had a knock-down, drag-out fight. Stop calling each other names, or you're going to end up with a real knock-down, drag-out fight.

See also: fight

Look (at) what the cat dragged in!

Inf. Look who's here! (A good-humored and familiar way of showing surprise at someone's presence in a place, especially if the person looks a little rumpled. Compare this with look like something the cat dragged in.) Bob and Mary were standing near the doorway talking when Tom came in. "Look what the cat dragged in!" announced Bob. Mary: Hello, everybody. I'm here! Jane: Look at what the cat dragged in!

See also: cat, look

look like something the cat dragged in

Fig. to look very shabby, worn, exhausted, or abused. (Sometimes with drug.) That new sofa of theirs looks like something the cat dragged in. Poor Dave looks like something the cat drug in. He must have been out late last night.

See also: cat, like, look

Wild horses couldn't drag someone away (from something.)

Prov. Someone is determined to remain with something. Once Elaine starts playing a video game, wild horses can't drag her away from it. Jim was determined to remain fishing at the lake. Wild horses couldn't drag him away from it.

See also: away, couldn't, horse, wild

---

drag somebody's name through the mire/mud

to tell people about something bad that someone has done so that people will have a bad opinion of them Her name was dragged through the mud after she admitted offering money in return for votes.

See also: name, through

drag your feet/heels

to deal with something slowly because you do not really want to do it (often + on ) He was asked why the government had dragged its feet on the question of a single European currency. (often + over ) We don't want to look as if we're dragging our heels over promoting women to senior positions.

See drag over the coals

See also: feet

drag/haul somebody over the coals

to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong If I make a spelling mistake, I get hauled over the coals by my boss. (often + for ) They dragged her over the coals for being late with her assignment.

See rake over the coals

See also: coal

knock-down-drag-out  (American)

a knock-down-drag-out fight or argument is very serious and continues for a long time (always before noun) Look, I don't want to get into a knock-down-drag-out fight with you over this so let's forget it.

look like something the cat brought/dragged in  (informal)

if someone looks like something the cat brought in, they are very untidy and dirty You can't possibly go to school like that - you look like something the cat dragged in!

See also: brought, cat, like, look

Look what the cat's dragged in!  (informal)

an insulting way of saying that someone has just arrived, suggesting that they are ugly and badly dressed Well, look what the cat's dragged in. Did you make that dress or borrow it from your mother?

See also: look

the main drag  (American & Australian informal)

the biggest and most important road in a town We walked up and down the town's main drag looking for a post office.

See also: main

---

drag your/its feet

to do something slowly because you do not want to do it drag your/its heels He knows he should make a decision, but he's dragging his feet.

See also: feet

drag your/its heels

to do something slowly because you do not want to do it drag your/its feet When they told us they wanted to put computers in our classrooms, we dragged our heels a little bit.

See also: heel