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

draw the line at something • draw the line under
something
draw the line at something —refuse to do smth. because it is
more than one is prepared to do: I draw the line at nappy-
changing, not because I am a man but because I don’t like
surprises of that nature.
draw the line under something —try to forget about a bad
situation, etc., so that one can start again: Vicky and I agreed
to draw the line under our disagreements and try to look to-
wards our future together.
dreamlike air • dreamy air
dreamlike air —is used to describe smth. that seems illusory
or unreal: The fortress retains the dreamlike air of a fairytale
castle that one might read of in a historical romance.
dreamy air —is used of the facial expression of smb. whose
thoughts are far away: He appeared to be a quiet and shy red-
head with the dreamy air of a poet.
dress someone down • dress someone up
dress someone down —
1
. make smb. wear informal clothes for
an occasion: Craig was dressed up in a Brioni suit, and what
would be the point of that if they were to dress him down for
the movie? 2. (coll.) scold or reprimand a person: Well, I let
Chris have it, dressing him down for his beard! Needless to
say, I lost a friend.
dress someone up —
1
. dress smb. formally; make a person
wear his best clothes: Mr. Wilde procured the boy a suit of
clothes to dress him up like a gentleman’s son. 2. make smb.
wear fancy clothing; disguise a person: I dressed her up as a
doctor and painstakingly made her rehearse lines for the fancy
dress competition at school.
dressing table • kitchen dresser
dressing table —a low table with a mirror at which one sits
while dressing, applying makeup, etc.: The following day, in
the late afternoon, she’d been sitting in front of her dressing-
table rearranging her jewellery in its box…
kitchen dresser —a tall piece of furniture with cupboards
below and shelves on the top half: Last bank holiday found
me on my knees, clearing out the cupboards in the kitchen
dresser, a ritual to which I return every five years or so.