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

dead room • death chamber
dead room —a room or studio made absolutely soundproof:
With the advent of radio broadcasting and sound pictures very
“dead” rooms have been built.
death chamber —
1
. (also: lethal chamber) a room specially
equipped for executing people: It was with similar displeasure
that I undertook a tour of Maryland’s death chamber. 2. (U.S.
sl.) an unsafe vehicle (also: death trap): The Ford Pinto was
considered a death chamber due to its gas tank tendency to
explode on impact.
dead rope • death rope
dead rope —
1
. a rope that is fixed, and does not run in a pul-
ley: There must always be at least two complete turns of dead
rope on the pulley or drum. 2. a bell-rope working on a half-
wheel, for chiming: The bells were not hung for “full circle”
ringing until 
1
678; prior to this date they were hung “dead
rope.”
death rope —a rope used for hanging a person: “You want to
do the honors?” asked our lieutenant, holding up the untied
end of the German officer’s death rope…
dead season • dead time
dead season —
1
. (of holiday resorts, etc.) the time when there
are very few guests: Since it was the dead season, the hotel
beach wasn’t crowded at all. 2. a period without commercial,
social, or intellectual activity: It was the dead season in Lon-
don; every one of consequence was out of town.
dead time —time during which the active work is not going
on: Machine owners strive to minimize the dead time by fine-
tuning the control system.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase dead on time— exactly at the expected or pre-arranged
time: We arrived dead on time at Cape Town where we were
met by Che in the arrivals hall.