A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

dine on something • dine out on something
dine on something —have smth. for dinner: They dined on
mince, as there was nothing else in the house.
dine out on something —gain social success by telling inter-
esting stories: You’ll dine out on it for weeks, won’t you, old
boy?
Note: 
Neither expression fully correlates in meaning with the
phrase dine off something—
1
. = dine on something: We dined
devil’s dust
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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.