off onion pilaf, and sponge-cake of maize flour. 2. = dine out on something: Ever since his adventure he has been dining off the story. dingo’s breakfast • dog’s breakfast dingo’s breakfast—(Austral. sl.) a drink of water, with noth- ing to eat: We quickly prepared for the hunt, had a dingo’s breakfast and we were off. dog’s breakfast—(sl.) an untidy mess; a distasteful mixture (also: dog’s dinner): The plot of the film is a dog’s breakfast of half-baked ideas. Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase donkey’s breakfast—(sl.) 1. a straw mattress: There we slept on the usual “donkey’s breakfast .” 2. a straw hat: She was wear- ing a red dress and had a donkey’s breakfast on her head. dining car • dinner wagon dining car —a railroad car in which meals are served: People in the dining car were much easier to talk to than the people in the first class lounge. dinner wagon—a tray with shelves beneath (usually on cas- tors) for the service of a dining-room: He would not even know the difference between a tea trolley and a dinner wagon . dinner lady • kitchen maid dinner lady —(UK) a female cook or canteen worker in a school: They walked home, along with their friends, and made free with my house and kitchen whilst I was busy being a din - ner lady at school. kitchen maid —a woman employed in the kitchen; a junior female servant in a great house: Daisy was taken on as a kitchen maid at Findon Place, where Edwin John Spencer and his wife rented the mansion. dip one’s toes in the water • get one’s feet wet dip one’s toes in the water—(of an activity) proceed gently with much caution: Companies will dip their toes in the water by hiring temporary employees until they are certain their markets have recovered. get one’s feet wet—gain one’s first experience of smth.; do smth. for the first time: Don’t be afraid to get your feet wet . Your first efforts may not be perfect, but you’ve got to start somewhere. dip the flag • drop the flag dip the flag —(of a ship) give a salute to another ship by mak- ing the flag go down for a moment and then up again: To- day, “dipping the flag ” is an act of courtesy; men-of-war do not do it to one another. drop the flag —1. (Sport) indicate the start or finish of a race using a flag: When the first horse reaches the winning post, one of the judges there drops a flag . 2. give the signal for the start or finish of smth: It would be a great help to the leader of a future expedition in making up his mind when to “drop the flag .” direct something at someone • direct something to someone direct something at someone—1. aim or point smth. at a per- son: Wary troopers directed stun guns at the medley of bodies in case of disorder. 2. intend smth. for a person: Are you di - recting your remarks at me? direct something to someone—1. address or send smth. to a person: Please direct all the mail to the secretary when it is delivered. 2. = direct something at someone 2: My next remarks are directed to the boys and girls of this school. dirt-eater • dirt-eating dirt-eater —(dated) 1. (also: clay-eater) miserable people who appease their hunger with a kind of aluminous earth: Distin- guished from other southerners by hookworm disease were dirt-eaters scattered in sand barrens and pine woods. 2. a con- temptuous name for “poor whites” in some parts of the south- ern United States: It rests with you whether you will take rank with the poor whites, the dirt-eaters of the South, or with the best classes of the north. dirt-eating—a disease of the nutritive functions causing an irresistible craving to eat earth: For some time past she had been addicted to dirt-eating (eating earth) … a disease, which terminates in dropsy and death. See also: eat a peck of dirt / eat dirt. dirt money • dirty money dirt money—money paid to workman handling dirty mate- rials or working in dirty conditions: Wharfies get dirt money for working on filthy, dusty merchant ships. dirty money—1. = dirt money: When any class of work in- volves special unpleasantness, “black money” or “dirty money ” is sometimes stipulated for. 2. money earned by dishonorable or corrupt means: They want you to “launder” this dirty money so that you are the one who will be tracked down by the authorities. dirty dog • dirty pig dirty dog—used as an insult of a person who has behaved badly, meanly or selfishly: I see you’ve finished all the whisky, you dirty dogs . You might have saved me a little. dirty pig —used as an insult of a disgusting person (dirty in his personal habits, etc.): He doesn’t have any friends and peo- ple are always laughing at him calling him “dirty pig .” dirty one’s hands • have clean hands dirty one’s hands—1. get involved with routine and practical work: He is easily approachable, and willing to dirty his hands doing the work he has been elected to do. 2. do smth. that one considers unpleasant or distasteful: These are people with more secure jobs who have never had to dirty their hands to earn a living. 3. do smth. shameful or illegal: Tolentino is loyal, brutal, knows how to keep secrets and is ready to dirty his hands for his boss. have clean hands—be free from guilt or dishonesty: Many Republicans realized that the party could not win unless the nominee had clean hands . dirty work • dirty work at the cross-roads dirty work—1. the necessary work which is dirty, hard, or unpleasant: We never had enough applicants. Most folks just don’t want to do the dirty work . 2. unlawful activity, especially undertaken on behalf of another person: Do you generally get other people to do your dirty work for you? dirty work at the cross-roads—1. foul play (said of mean or corrupt practices): No question of accident or of dirty work at the cross-roads ? These rich men have enemies, don’t they? 2. (joc.) said of smth. unpleasant happening: There’ll be dirty work at the cross-roads all right, when you lads get together. I suppose you’ll be arriving home about 3 a.m.! disconnected from something • disconnected with something disconnected from something—physically separated from smth.; not joined to smth.: Make sure the television is dis - connected from the mains supply before you open up the back. disconnected with something—having no relationship with smth.: The accident rate seems to be disconnected with the road conditions and weather. dispense something • dispense with something dispense something—1. deal out or distribute smth.: Young – 97 – dispense something