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

duck shoot • shoot ahead of the duck
duck shoot—(U.S. coll.) a very easy task: The market gets
crowded after midday and is a duck-shoot for pickpockets.
shoot ahead of the duck— think and plan ahead; try to an-
ticipate future tendencies: When you adopt a new technology,
shoot ahead of the duck. Look at what you do today in terms
of longer trends…
due for something • due to something
due for something —said of smth. expected as set by agree-
ment, etc.: He is due for work in India, which he is looking
forward to.
due to something —
1
. caused by smth.: This change of mean-
ing is due to misunderstanding the nature of the word. 2. ap-
propriate to smth.; right for smth.: He is too conscious of
what is due to his position.
dumb as a fox • dumb as a stump
dumb as a fox —smart and cunning: He may appear to be
harmless, but the truth is, he is as dumb as a fox, and he and
his gang are destroying this country.
dumb as a stump —(derog.) not very smart: I think Philip is
as dumb as a stump. He should open his eyes and see that his
sweet little Belle is just using him.
dust bowl • dustpan
dust bowl —said of an area that has no vegetation because
of drought, dust storms, etc.: The worst of the storms were
concentrated in an area called the dust bowl by the people of
the time.
dustpan —a short-handled pan or scoop into which dust is
swept: The tiny shards of near-powdered glass won’t easily
brush into the dustpans.
Note: 
The compound does not correlate in meaning with dust-
bin
— a container for household rubbish: To prevent the toilets
from getting blocked, materials like paper and cotton should
be thrown in the dustbin.
E
each and every one • each one
each and every one —(emphatic) every individual or thing in
a group without exception: I want each and every one of you
to know that this administration recognizes the vital role you
play.
each one —(of two or more people or things) every one taken
separately: But as great a day as this is for the whole church,
I want us to reflect upon what it means to each one of us in-
dividually.