ditch

(as) dull as ditchwater

Very boring or unexciting. This phrase is often used to describe a person. My date with Dave was not great—he is as dull as ditchwater. I fell asleep during that movie because it was as dull as ditchwater.

die in the last ditch

To die after fighting valiantly until the end. None of our troops will desert us—they're loyal and willing to die in the last ditch.

ditch (some place)

To leave a place, especially one that is no longer of use or interest, generally in search of something better. Come on, let's ditch this place and go back to my house.

ditch (someone)

To leave, abandon, or purposefully lose someone. My little brother was being a real pest around me and my friends, so we decided to ditch him in the mall. I can't believe she ditched me to go hang out with her friends!

ditch (something)

To throw away or abandon something. I was tired of carrying his bag for him, so I ditched it in a bush and went home. I had to ditch my car and walk into town after I ran out of gas.

hurler on the ditch

A person who offers unsolicited criticism or advice about something in which they are not an active participant. Taken from the sport of hurling, a player of which is a hurler. Primarily heard in Ireland. All these people condemning the political process from social media, many of whom I'm sure don't vote, are just hurlers on the ditch in my opinion.

if one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow

proverb If one person takes a dangerous or foolhardy risk, others are apt to follow. Of course all the boys had to try that dangerous ramp at the skateboard park once Billy did. If one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow. One hedge fund saw tremendous profit from the sale of subprime mortgages, so it was no surprise that pretty soon it became the trendy new practice throughout the financial market. If one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow.

See also: all, follow, if, leap, one, over, rest, sheep, will

keep it between the ditches

1. To drive safely; to stay on the road. (Usually said imperatively.) Whoa there, son. I know you're only just learning, but try to keep it between the ditches!

2. To behave properly or appropriately; to stay out of trouble or harm's way; keep to the straight and narrow. (Often said imperatively.) Okay, Bob, I'll see you after you're back from your trip. Keep it between the ditches now, you hear?

last-ditch

Final, usually drastic or risky, with failure as the only alternative. The home team is mounting one last-ditch attempt in the final seconds of the game to try to force an overtime showdown. In a last-ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown, congress has pushed forward a new spending bill.

last-ditch attempt

A final effort or attempt to solve a problem or avoid failure or defeat, especially after a series of failures or setbacks. The home team is mounting one last-ditch attempt in the final seconds of the game to try to force an overtime showdown. In a last-ditch attempt to avoid a government shutdown, congress has pushed forward a new spending bill.

last-ditch effort

A final effort or attempt to solve a problem or avoid failure or defeat, especially after a series of failures or setbacks. The home team is mounting one last-ditch effort in the final seconds of the game to try to force an overtime showdown. In a last-ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown, congress has pushed forward a new spending bill meant to plug the debt ceiling for another year.

ox-in-the-ditch

Of or relating to a situation that is dire and requires urgent and undivided attention to resolve it. Taken from the Bible (Luke 14), in which Jesus demonstrates to the Pharisees that some emergencies must be dealt with immediately, even if it means breaking the Sabbath to do so. I was going to miss the biggest meeting of the year, but my daughter's sickness was an ox-in-the-ditch situation.

snitches get stitches (and end up in ditches)

People who inform to police or tattle to authority figures will be the targets of retaliatory violence. You'd better just go ahead and forget what you saw, Tom. Remember, snitches get stitches and end up in ditches. A: "I saw you take Sally's lunch money! I'm telling the teacher!" B: "Snitches get stitches, Timmy!"

snitches get stitches and wind up in ditches

See also: and, ditch, get, snitch, stitch, up, wind

the ox is in the ditch

The situation is dire and requires urgent and undivided attention to resolve it. Taken from the Bible (Luke 14), in which Jesus demonstrates to the Pharisees that some emergencies must be dealt with immediately, even if it means breaking the sabbath to do so. I was always taught to keep Sunday as a holy day, but you know as well as I do that if the ox is in the ditch, then you need to do what you can to make things right, no matter what day of the week it is! With our engine shot, stranded out on this desert highway, it seemed pretty clear to me that the ox was in the ditch.

*dull as dishwater

and *dull as ditch water

very uninteresting. (*Also: as ~.) I'm not surprised that he can't find a partner. He's as dull as dishwater. Mr. Black's speech was as dull as dishwater.

See also: dishwater, dull

*last-ditch effort

Fig. a final effort; the last possible attempt. (*Typically: be ~; have ~; make ~.) I made one last-ditch effort to get her to stay. It was a last-ditch effort. I didn't expect it to work.

dull as dishwater

Boring, tedious, as in That lecture was dull as dishwater. The original simile, dull as ditchwater, dating from the 1700s, alluded to the muddy water in roadside ditches. In the first half of the 1900s, perhaps through mispronunciation, it became dishwater, that is, the dingy, grayish water in which dirty dishes had soaked.

See also: dishwater, dull

last-ditch effort

A desperate final attempt, as in We're making a last-ditch effort to finish on time. This expression alludes to the military sense of last ditch, "the last line of defense." Its figurative use dates from the early 1800s.

last-ditch

COMMON A last-ditch attempt or effort to do something is a final desperate try when everything else has failed. The President has been making a last-ditch attempt to prevent the rebels taking over the city. She gave up all claim on their house and his wealth in a last-ditch attempt to get him back. Note: In this expression, `ditch' means a trench (= long hole in the ground) which has been dug in order to defend a military position. The expression refers to soldiers who are prepared to die in a final effort to defend the position rather than surrender.

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

die in the last ditch

die desperately defending something; die fighting to the last extremity.

This expression comes from a remark attributed to King William III ( 1650–1702 ). Asked whether he did not see that his country was lost, he is said to have responded: ‘There is one way never to see it lost, and that is to die in the last ditch’. Last-ditch is often used as an adjective meaning ‘desperately resisting to the end’.

dull as dishwater (or ditchwater)

extremely dull.

See also: dishwater, dull

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a ˌlast-ditch ˈstand/atˈtempt/ˈeffort

a final attempt to avoid defeat: They are making a last-ditch stand to save the company. This is a last-ditch attempt to stop the strike. Ditch in this idiom refers to a long channel built to defend an area against attack.

dull as dishwater

verb

See as dull as dishwater

See also: dishwater, dull

ditch

1. tv. to dispose of someone or something; to abandon someone or something. The crooks ditched the car and continued on foot.

2. tv. & in. to skip or evade someone or something. Pete ditched class today.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

dull as dishwater

Flat, boring. This expression began life in the eighteenth century as dull as ditchwater, alluding to the muddy color of the water in roadside gullies. “He’d be sharper than a serpent’s tooth, if he wasn’t as dull as ditchwater,” says Dickens’s Fanny Cleaver (Oliver Twist). This version survived on both sides of the Atlantic well into the twentieth century. Either through careless pronunciation or through similar analogy it occasionally became dishwater—water in which dishes had been washed and which consequently was dingy and grayish.

See also: dishwater, dull

last-ditch defense/effort

A desperate final measure. In military terminology of the seventeenth century the “last ditch” was the ultimate line of defense. By the eighteenth century the term was being used figuratively, as in Thomas Jefferson’s description, “A government driven to the last ditch by the universal call for liberty.”

词组	ditch
释义	ditch (as) dull as ditchwater Very boring or unexciting. This phrase is often used to describe a person. My date with Dave was not great—he is as dull as ditchwater. I fell asleep during that movie because it was as dull as ditchwater. See also: ditchwater, dull die in the last ditch To die after fighting valiantly until the end. None of our troops will desert us—they're loyal and willing to die in the last ditch. See also: die, ditch, last ditch (some place) To leave a place, especially one that is no longer of use or interest, generally in search of something better. Come on, let's ditch this place and go back to my house. See also: ditch ditch (someone) To leave, abandon, or purposefully lose someone. My little brother was being a real pest around me and my friends, so we decided to ditch him in the mall. I can't believe she ditched me to go hang out with her friends! See also: ditch ditch (something) To throw away or abandon something. I was tired of carrying his bag for him, so I ditched it in a bush and went home. I had to ditch my car and walk into town after I ran out of gas. See also: ditch hurler on the ditch A person who offers unsolicited criticism or advice about something in which they are not an active participant. Taken from the sport of hurling, a player of which is a hurler. Primarily heard in Ireland. All these people condemning the political process from social media, many of whom I'm sure don't vote, are just hurlers on the ditch in my opinion. See also: ditch, on if one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow proverb If one person takes a dangerous or foolhardy risk, others are apt to follow. Of course all the boys had to try that dangerous ramp at the skateboard park once Billy did. If one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow. One hedge fund saw tremendous profit from the sale of subprime mortgages, so it was no surprise that pretty soon it became the trendy new practice throughout the financial market. If one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow. See also: all, follow, if, leap, one, over, rest, sheep, will keep it between the ditches 1. To drive safely; to stay on the road. (Usually said imperatively.) Whoa there, son. I know you're only just learning, but try to keep it between the ditches! 2. To behave properly or appropriately; to stay out of trouble or harm's way; keep to the straight and narrow. (Often said imperatively.) Okay, Bob, I'll see you after you're back from your trip. Keep it between the ditches now, you hear? See also: between, ditch, keep last-ditch Final, usually drastic or risky, with failure as the only alternative. The home team is mounting one last-ditch attempt in the final seconds of the game to try to force an overtime showdown. In a last-ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown, congress has pushed forward a new spending bill. last-ditch attempt A final effort or attempt to solve a problem or avoid failure or defeat, especially after a series of failures or setbacks. The home team is mounting one last-ditch attempt in the final seconds of the game to try to force an overtime showdown. In a last-ditch attempt to avoid a government shutdown, congress has pushed forward a new spending bill. See also: attempt last-ditch effort A final effort or attempt to solve a problem or avoid failure or defeat, especially after a series of failures or setbacks. The home team is mounting one last-ditch effort in the final seconds of the game to try to force an overtime showdown. In a last-ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown, congress has pushed forward a new spending bill meant to plug the debt ceiling for another year. See also: effort ox-in-the-ditch Of or relating to a situation that is dire and requires urgent and undivided attention to resolve it. Taken from the Bible (Luke 14), in which Jesus demonstrates to the Pharisees that some emergencies must be dealt with immediately, even if it means breaking the Sabbath to do so. I was going to miss the biggest meeting of the year, but my daughter's sickness was an ox-in-the-ditch situation. snitches get stitches (and end up in ditches) People who inform to police or tattle to authority figures will be the targets of retaliatory violence. You'd better just go ahead and forget what you saw, Tom. Remember, snitches get stitches and end up in ditches. A: "I saw you take Sally's lunch money! I'm telling the teacher!" B: "Snitches get stitches, Timmy!" See also: end, get, snitch, stitch, up snitches get stitches and wind up in ditches People who inform to police or tattle to authority figures will be the targets of retaliatory violence. You'd better just go ahead and forget what you saw, Tom. Remember, snitches get stitches and wind up in ditches. See also: and, ditch, get, snitch, stitch, up, wind the ox is in the ditch The situation is dire and requires urgent and undivided attention to resolve it. Taken from the Bible (Luke 14), in which Jesus demonstrates to the Pharisees that some emergencies must be dealt with immediately, even if it means breaking the sabbath to do so. I was always taught to keep Sunday as a holy day, but you know as well as I do that if the ox is in the ditch, then you need to do what you can to make things right, no matter what day of the week it is! With our engine shot, stranded out on this desert highway, it seemed pretty clear to me that the ox was in the ditch. See also: ditch, ox Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. dull as dishwater and dull as ditch water very uninteresting. (Also: as ~.) I'm not surprised that he can't find a partner. He's as dull as dishwater. Mr. Black's speech was as dull as dishwater. See also: dishwater, dull last-ditch effort Fig. a final effort; the last possible attempt. (Typically: be ~; have ~; make ~.) I made one last-ditch effort to get her to stay. It was a last-ditch effort. I didn't expect it to work. See also: effort McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. dull as dishwater Boring, tedious, as in That lecture was dull as dishwater. The original simile, dull as ditchwater, dating from the 1700s, alluded to the muddy water in roadside ditches. In the first half of the 1900s, perhaps through mispronunciation, it became dishwater, that is, the dingy, grayish water in which dirty dishes had soaked. See also: dishwater, dull last-ditch effort A desperate final attempt, as in We're making a last-ditch effort to finish on time. This expression alludes to the military sense of last ditch, "the last line of defense." Its figurative use dates from the early 1800s. See also: effort The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. last-ditch COMMON A last-ditch* attempt or effort to do something is a final desperate try when everything else has failed. The President has been making a last-ditch attempt to prevent the rebels taking over the city. She gave up all claim on their house and his wealth in a last-ditch attempt to get him back. Note: In this expression, `ditch' means a trench (= long hole in the ground) which has been dug in order to defend a military position. The expression refers to soldiers who are prepared to die in a final effort to defend the position rather than surrender. Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. die in the last ditch die desperately defending something; die fighting to the last extremity. This expression comes from a remark attributed to King William III ( 1650–1702 ). Asked whether he did not see that his country was lost, he is said to have responded: ‘There is one way never to see it lost, and that is to die in the last ditch’. Last-ditch is often used as an adjective meaning ‘desperately resisting to the end’. See also: die, ditch, last dull as dishwater (or ditchwater) extremely dull. See also: dishwater, dull Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary a ˌlast-ditch ˈstand/atˈtempt/ˈeffort a final attempt to avoid defeat: They are making a last-ditch stand to save the company. This is a last-ditch attempt to stop the strike. Ditch in this idiom refers to a long channel built to defend an area against attack. See also: attempt, effort, stand Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary dull as dishwater verb See as dull as dishwater See also: dishwater, dull ditch 1. tv. to dispose of someone or something; to abandon someone or something. The crooks ditched the car and continued on foot. 2. tv. & in. to skip or evade someone or something. Pete ditched class today. McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions dull as dishwater Flat, boring. This expression began life in the eighteenth century as dull as ditchwater, alluding to the muddy color of the water in roadside gullies. “He’d be sharper than a serpent’s tooth, if he wasn’t as dull as ditchwater,” says Dickens’s Fanny Cleaver (Oliver Twist). This version survived on both sides of the Atlantic well into the twentieth century. Either through careless pronunciation or through similar analogy it occasionally became dishwater—water in which dishes had been washed and which consequently was dingy and grayish. See also: dishwater, dull last-ditch defense/effort A desperate final measure. In military terminology of the seventeenth century the “last ditch” was the ultimate line of defense. By the eighteenth century the term was being used figuratively, as in Thomas Jefferson’s description, “A government driven to the last ditch by the universal call for liberty.” See also: defense, effort The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer See also: (as) dull as ditchwater ditchwater dull as ditchwater dull dull as dishwater (as) dull as dishwater dishwater as dull as dishwater be as dull as dishwater be like watching grass grow References in classic literature He had been thinking what was best to be done, and now he asked the Woodman to chop away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The Tin Woodman began to use his axe at once, and, just as the two Kalidahs were nearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz There was a sudden rush and roar, and in a minute the mountain brook was raging through the big ditch and creating a river a hundred feet wide and twenty- five deep. They halted, they stood their ground a moment against that withering deluge of fire, then they broke, faced about and swept toward the ditch like chaff before a gale. Connecticut Yankee I had alighted from Joe's back on the brink of the ditch when we came up, and had not moved since. There I was, on Joe's back, and there was Joe beneath me, charging at the ditches like a hunter, and stimulating Mr. Great Expectations And what does he do but go and stake him--fly at a hedge with stakes in it, atop of a bank with a ditch before it. Silas Marner The two horses sank knee-deep into the mud and stumbled into ditches; sometimes they had to jump over them. Simple Soul North they drove, through days of heat and dust, across the California plains, and everywhere was manifest the "new" farming--great irrigation ditches, dug and being dug, the land threaded by power-lines from the mountains, and many new farmhouses on small holdings newly fenced. The Valley of the Moon Cannon, muskets, fire and smoke; but, still the deep ditch, the single drawbridge, the massive stone wails, and the eight great towers. Deep ditches, double drawbridge, massive stone walls, eight great towers, cannon, muskets, fire and smoke. Tale Of Two Cities Give me rainy weather and a ditch, and I am quite happy. I wonder how it came here"; and he picked the rocket out of the ditch. Then all that was left of him was the stick, and this fell down on the back of a Goose who was taking a walk by the side of the ditch. The Happy Prince and Other Tales ISLAMABAD -- Two people were killed and five others wounded when their vehicle fell into a ditch at Shangla on Wednesday morning. Two killed, five injured in Shangla road mishap
随便看	round off to (something) round on round out round peg in a square hole, a round robin round Robin Hood's barn round (someone or something) up round table round the bend round the bend/twist round the clock round the twist round to round trip round tripper run around in circles run around in circles, to run around like a blue-arsed fly run around like a chicken with its head cut off run around like a chicken with its head cut off and run in circles run around like a headless chicken run around with run around with (someone) run as run as fast as (one's) legs can carry (one)