dig

dig deep: seedeep.

dig the dirt (or dig up dirt) discover and reveal damaging information about someone. informal

☞ Dirt is commonly used as a metaphor for unsavoury gossip or scandal, as in, for example, dish the dirt (seedish).

dig in your heels resist stubbornly; refuse to give in.

☞ The image here is of a horse or other animal obstinately refusing to be led or ridden forwards. Dig in your heels is the commonest form, but dig in your toes and dig in your feet are also found.

dig yourself into a hole (or dig a hole for yourself) get yourself into an awkward or restrictive situation.

dig your own grave do something foolish which causes you to fail or leads to your downfall.

1995Colin BatemanDivorcing Jack Then I thought about Patricia again and how much I was missing her and how I'd dug my own grave over the phone.

dig a pit for try to trap.

☞ This is a common biblical metaphor: for example, in Jeremiah 18:20 we find 'they have digged a pit for my soul'.