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

be dead nuts on something • be dead set on some-
thing
be dead nuts on something —
1
. (coll.) placed precisely on the
surface of smth.: He caught me dead nuts on the chin, Pepe
thought as he lay on the ground. 2. (coll.) exactly correspond
to smth.: The styling of the new convertible is dead nuts on
what a car in this class should be: bold and aristocratic. 3.
(sl.) be very fond of smth.; be delighted with smth.: Quite
frankly, I wasn’t dead nuts on meeting with them.
be dead set on something —be fixed in one’s purpose; be de-
termined on doing smth.: The administration is dead set on
trying to destroy unions. Cf.: make a dead set at something —
make a determined effort to gain smth.: People can’t be allowed
to make a dead set at a property like this.
be death on someone • be the death of someone
be death on someone —(coll.) 
1
. be fatal to a person; be very
effective in acting against smb.: The new teacher is death on
students who come late to class. 2. be very fond of a person:
Fanny hasn’t forgotten you … she was always death on you
English chaps.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase die on someone—(also: go dead on someone) 
1
. die while
in the charge or care of a person: “I want to look after her while
she’s in England.” “Suppose she died on you?” 2. (of an appa-
ratus, appliance, etc. in smb.’s care) break down; cease to function:
My car died on me, and I couldn’t get it started.
be the death of someone —(coll.) 
1
. said of things (especially
done repeatedly) which upset or irritate a person: Forty, if
she’s a day, wears pince-nez and an air of brisk efficiency that
will be the death of me. 2. said of smb. who is exceptionally
funny or ridiculous: Lili’s capering seemed the funniest thing
she had ever seen. “Stop, Lili, stop! You’ll be the death of me!”