dust (redirected from dusts off)

bite the dust

1. 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. to die. Two Hollywood stars of the thirties have recently bitten the dust.

See also: bite

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 also: settle

gather dust

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

See also: gather

like gold dust (British & Australian, American)

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

See also: gold, like

not see someone 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

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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

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 someone/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