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

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.!