dust (redirected from dusting)

*dry as dust and *dry as a bone 

1. Cliché very dry. (*Also: as ~.) The bread is as dry as dust. When the leaves are dry as a bone, they break into powder easily.

2. Cliché very dull; very boring. (*Also: as ~.) This book is as dry as dust. I am going to stop reading it. Her lecture was dry as dust—just like her subject.

See also: dry

bite the dust 

1. Sl. to die. A shot rang out, and another cowboy bit the dust. The soldier was too young to bite the dust.

2. Sl. to break; to fail; to give out. My old car finally bit the dust. This pen is out of ink and has bitten the dust.

See also: bite

Charge it to the dust and let the rain settle it.

Rur. Do not expect to be paid for this. (A humorous answer to a question like, "Who is going to pay for this?") Tom: Who's going to pay me all that money you owe? Mary: Charge it to the dust and let the rain settle it!

See also: and, charge, let, rain, settle

cut the dust

Fig. to take a drink of liquor. I think I'll stop in here and cut the dust. I want to cut the dust. Can I have a snort?

See also: cut

dust someone's pants

Sl. to spank someone, usually a child. My dad will dust my pants if he hears about this. I'm too old for somebody to dust my pants.

See also: pant

dust someone off

Sl. to punch or beat someone. We dusted them off one by one. We had to dust off all those big guys. dust someone or something off to wipe or brush the dust off someone or something. Dust this vase off and put it on the shelf. Please dust off this vase.

dust something out

to brush the dust out of something. Dust this cabinet out and put the china back in. Please dust out this cabinet.

See also: out

dust bunny and a dust kitten; a turkey's nest

Kg. a clump of dust and lint. She swept the dust bunnies out from under the bed. There's a huge dust kitten behind the chiffarobe. He hasn't cleaned in weeks. There are turkey's nests in every corner.

See also: bunny

gather dust

Fig. [for something] to sit unused for a long time. Most of my talent is just gathering dust because I don't really have an opportunity to perform.

See also: gather

kiss the dust

Sl. to fall to the earth, because of death or because of being struck. I'll see that you kiss the dust before sunset, cowboy! You'll kiss the dust before I will, Sheriff.

See also: kiss

when the dust settles 

1. Lit. when the dust falls out of the air. When the dust settles, we will have to begin sweeping it up.

2. . Fig. when things have calmed down. When the dust settles, we can start patching up all the hurt feelings.

See also: settle

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not see somebody for dust  (British & Australian informal)

if you say that you won't see someone for dust, you mean that they will leave a place very quickly, usually in order to avoid something If you tell her that Jim's coming, you won't see her for dust!

See also: see

bite the dust 

1. (informal) to fail or to stop existing Three hundred more people lost their jobs in the same region when another firm bit the dust. She can't make it on Saturday? Oh, well, another good idea bites the dust!

2. (humorous) to die Two Hollywood stars of the thirties have recently bitten the dust.

See also: bite

done and dusted  (british old-fashioned)

successfully completed We expect the deal to be done and dusted before the end of next week.

See be done to death, be done like a dinner, done up up like a dog's dinner, the done thing, be cooked to a turn

See also: and, done

gather dust

to not be used for a long time (often in continuous tenses) If these books are going to sit around gathering dust in the garage you might as well give them to Frank.

See also: gather

like gold dust  (British & Australian) also like gold (American)

if things or people are like gold dust, they are difficult to get because a lot of people want them Tickets for the Coldplay concert were like gold dust. We were really lucky to get them. Skilled workers are like gold in the engineering industry.

See strike gold

See also: gold, like

the dust settles

if the dust settles after an argument, a problem, or an event which has caused a lot of changes, the situation becomes calmer We decided to let the dust settle before trying to deal with any other problems. You'd better wait until the dust settles before you mention anything else.

See bite the dust, gather dust, see for dust, turn to dust

See also: settle

turn to dust  (literary)

to become worth nothing Every promise they have made has turned to dust.

See also: turn

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bite the dust

to stop existing Back in the ’50s we had many competitors, but most have bitten the dust. Another fashion fad has bitten the dust.

See also: bite

dust something off also dust off something

to make something usable after it has not been used for a long time It's a good time to dust off your resume and see if you can get some work. Byrne dusted off some of the band's classics in Tuesday's concert.

dust yourself off

to prepare yourself to continue doing something you unexpectedly stopped doing Everyone wonders if the nation can dust itself off after the disaster.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of dusting yourself off (cleaning dirt off yourself) after you fall

gather dust

to be forgotten or not used Hugh's tennis racket has just been gathering dust since he hurt his back.

See also: gather

leave somebody/something in the dust

1. to move quickly away from someone or something If a big truck bears down on you from behind, this powerful car can leave it in the dust.

2. to replace someone or something with something new This new computer virus left last year's killer virus in the dust.

See also: leave

when the dust settles

after an activity stops We always believed that when the dust settled, the court would rule in our favor.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form until the dust settles: You meet lots of people when you travel on business, and until the dust settles, you don't know what you've actually accomplished.

See also: settle