dive

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crash dive

1. noun A sudden descent, typically in an emergency situation. The phrase is usually applied to submarines and airplanes. Engine two is out, prepare for a crash dive!

2. verb To make such a descent. My brain could barely comprehend that the our lives were in danger before the plane started to crash dive.

creep dive

An establishment, typically a bar or restaurant, that is generally filled with unsavory or degenerate people ("creeps"). Ugh, this bar is such a creep dive—every guy that's hit on me is 60 or older.

creep joint

1. slang A brothel. Please don't tell me that the media got a picture of the senator leaving some creep joint over the weekend.

2. slang A gambling enterprise that frequently changes locations. That creep joint is always on the move so the police don't catch up to them.

3. slang An establishment, typically a bar or restaurant, that is generally filled with unsavory or degenerate people ("creeps"). Ugh, this bar is such a creep joint—every guy that's hit on me is 60 or older.

deep dive

A thorough analysis, perhaps one that seems excessive or unwarranted for a particular topic. When you get a chance, check out the magazine's deep dive on the upcoming vote. It covers every angle. Wow, they really did a deep dive on eye shadow in that article. It was 20 pages long!

dive

slang A cheap, run-down, or disreputable bar or saloon. Man, this place is a dive! Isn't there anywhere nicer in this town we can go for a drink? You're looking for Charlie? He's probably in some dive drowning his sorrows.

dive a muff

vulgar slang To perform cunnilingus.

dive bar

slang A cheap, run-down, or disreputable bar or saloon. Man, this place is a dive bar! Isn't there anywhere nicer in this town we can go for a drink? You're looking for Charlie? He's probably in some dive bar drowning his sorrows.

dive in

To begin or undertake something quickly, enthusiastically, and without trepidation. I know you're nervous about starting school, but you just need to dive in and do your best!

See also: dive

dive in with both feet

To begin or undertake something quickly, enthusiastically, and without trepidation. I know you're nervous about starting school, but you just need to dive in with both feet and do your best!

dive into (something)

1. Literally, to jump or leap into something, often a pool. I was so hot after my run that I dove into the pool as soon as I got home.

2. To start a task enthusiastically, perhaps without much forethought. Because we just dove into fixing up our house, every room is under construction at the same time.

3. To begin eating something enthusiastically. Each kid dove into his slice of cake as soon as it was set before him.

See also: dive

dive off

Literally, to jump or leap off of something, often headfirst. After debating it for several summers, Anna finally dove off the high dive at the community pool today.

do a swan dive

To suffer a sudden and drastic decline or failure; to plummet, as in value, performance, sales, etc. They were one of the top names in video games in the early 80s, but they went bankrupt after their new home console did a swan dive in 1983. I'll lose my entire fortune if the stock market does another swan dive.

duck and dive

To use one's cleverness or resourcefulness to avoid or address problems or obstacles. Longtime politicians always seem to have a great ability to duck and dive.

ducking and diving

Participating in a variety of activities, often illicit ones. I'm worried that John is ducking and diving because he's hardly ever home anymore and won't tell me what he does all day.

gin dive

slang A bar, especially one that is run-down. Are you guys hungover? You spent an awful lot of time at that gin dive last night!

gin mill

slang A bar, especially one that is run-down. Are you guys hungover? You spent an awful lot of time at that gin mill last night!

go into a nosedive

1. Of an aircraft, to go into a sudden and rapid descent toward the ground leading with the nose of the plane. Everyone started panicking when we went into a nosedive, but the skilled pilot managed to regain control of the plane and landed it safely.

2. Of a person, to fall toward the ground face first. I was so distracted by the girl I like in class that I ended up tripping and going into a nosedive right in front of her.

3. To suddenly and rapidly begin to decline in physical, emotional, or psychological health or stability; to suffer a sudden loss or decline in value or success. My father held out bravely in his fight against cancer, but I'm afraid he's gone into a nosedive in the last couple of weeks. Shares in the company went into a nosedive when news of the tax scandal went public.

make a dive (for someone or something)

To quickly and suddenly dive in some direction in an effort to catch or block someone or something. I saw the toddler teetering on the edge of the wall, so I made a dive to catch him. She made a dive for the ball, but it slipped through her fingers and went into the net.

swan dive

1. A type of forward dive in which one keeps one's legs together and stretches one's arms out to the side while in the air. The arms are then brought above the head just before one enters the water. Wow, that was a beautiful swan dive. I suspect she'll get high marks for it.

2. To suffer a sudden and drastic decline or failure; to plummet, as in value, performance, sales, etc. They were one of the top names in video games in the early 80s, but they went bankrupt after their new home console did a swan dive in 1983. I'll lose my entire fortune if the stock market takes another swan dive.

take a dive

1. In boxing, to pretend to be knocked out by one's opponent. (Generally done as a means of rigging the outcome of the match, so as to exploit betting odds and trends.) Heavily favored to dominate the match against the challenger, the defending champion has been suspected of taking a dive in the championship match last Saturday.

2. In soccer (football), to fall to the ground and make a very ostentatious display that one is in pain and anguish after making contact with an opposing player. (Done so as to draw a penalty kick for one's team.) It is so obvious that player from England took a dive!

3. In the stock market, to very suddenly become lower in value, as of the shares in a company or in the market as a whole. News of the automaker's deceptive practice of cheating on emissions tests has caused the company's shares to take a massive dive this afternoon. The market took a dive over the weekend after rumors of England's exit from the Eurozone.

See also: dive, take

take a fall

In boxing, to pretend to be knocked out by one's opponent, generally as a means of rigging the outcome of the match to create a profit for oneself or others from a bet placed on the match. Heavily favored to dominate the match against the challenger, the defending champion has been suspected of taking a fall in the championship bout last Saturday.

See also: fall, take

take a nosedive

1. Of an aircraft, to go into a sudden and rapid descent toward the ground leading with the nose of the plane. Everyone went into a panic when we started taking a nosedive, but the skilled pilot managed to regain control of the plane and landed it safely.

2. Of a person, to fall toward the ground face first. I was so distracted by the girl I like in class that I tripped and took a nosedive right in front of her.

3. By extension, to suddenly and rapidly begin to decline in physical, emotional, or psychological health or stability; to suffer a sudden loss or decline in value or success. My father has held out bravely in his fight against cancer, but I'm afraid he's taken a nosedive in the last couple of weeks. Shares in the company are taking a nosedive ever since news of the tax scandal went public.

take a swan dive

To suffer a sudden and drastic decline or failure; to plummet, as in value, performance, sales, etc. They were one of the top names in video games in the early 80s, but they went bankrupt after their new home console took a swan dive in 1983. I'll lose my entire fortune if the stock market takes another swan dive.

dive in with both feet

and jump in with both feet

Fig. to become completely involved with something quickly, especially something new. I had never done anything like this before, but I just jumped in with both feet and learned it in no time.

dive off

((of) something ) to jump off something headfirst. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) Rachel dived off of the rock into the river. She dived off the high diving board.

go into a nosedive

and take a nosedive

1. Lit. [for an airplane] suddenly to dive toward the ground, nose first. It was a bad day for flying, and I was afraid we'd go into a nosedive. The small plane took a nosedive. The pilot was able to bring it out at the last minute, so the plane didn't crash.

2. . Fig. [for someone] to fall to the ground face first. She took a nosedive and injured her face.

3. . Fig. to go into a rapid emotional or financial decline, or a decline in health. Our profits took a nosedive last year. After he broke his hip, Mr. Brown's health went into a nosedive, and he never recovered.

take a fall

and take a dive

to fake being knocked out in a boxing match. Wilbur wouldn't take a fall. He doesn't have it in him. The boxer took a dive in the second round and made everyone suspicious.

See also: fall, take

take a fall

1. Also, take a spill. Suffer a fall, fall down, as in You took quite a fall on the ski slopes, didn't you? or Bill took a spill on the ice.

2. Be arrested or convicted, as in He's taken a fall or two and spent some years in jail. [Slang; 1920s]

See also: fall, take

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

take a dive

1 (of a boxer or footballer) pretend to fall so as to deceive an opponent or referee. 2 (of prices, hopes, fortunes, etc.) fall suddenly and significantly. informal

2 1998 New Scientist When the DOJ announced its action, Microsoft's stock price took a dive, knocking $10 billion off the firm's market value.

See also: dive, take

duck and dive

use your ingenuity to deal with or evade a situation.

1998 New Scientist You don't last for over 100 million years without some capacity to duck and dive.

make a ˈdive (for something)

suddenly move or jump forward to do something or reach somebody/something: The goalkeeper made a dive for the ball.

take a ˈdive

(informal) suddenly get worse: Profits really took a dive at the end of last year.

See also: dive, take

dive in

1. To plunge one's body into something: The swimmer stood at the edge of the pool and dived in. The bird flew up suddenly before diving in the water.

2. To start enthusiastically: The teacher laid out the chemistry equipment, and the students dived in.

3. To start eating eagerly: I'm getting hungry, I can't wait to dive in. Here's the pizza; dive in!

See also: dive

dive into

1. To plunge one's body into something: The swimmer dived into the pool.

2. To start doing something enthusiastically: The class dived into the science experiment.

3. To start eating or drinking something eagerly: The hungry children dove into the pizza.

See also: dive

creep joint

and creep dive

n. an unpleasant place populated by creeps. You shouldn’t go into a creep joint like that alone. What’s a nice girl like you doing in a creep dive like this?

creep dive

verb

See creep joint

dive

n. a low drinking establishment; a cheap saloon. I don’t think I want to spend the whole evening in this dive.

dive a muff

tv. to perform oral sex on a woman. (Usually objectionable.) Tod likes to dive a muff every now and then.

gin mill

and gin dive and gin palace

n. a saloon; a low liquor establishment. (Older.) Fred hit every gin mill on the way home. The joint looks like a gin dive. I’m not going in there!

gin dive

verb

See gin mill

take a fall

and take a dive

1. tv. to fake being knocked out in a boxing match. The boxer took a dive in the second round and made everyone suspicious.

2. tv. to get arrested. (see also take the fall.) I didn’t wanna take a fall, but the cop left me no choice.

See also: fall, take

take a dive

verb

See take a fall

See also: dive, take

take a nosedive

tv. to collapse; to fail. The market took a nosedive again today.