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[doctor] See: JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.

[doctor up]{v. phr.} To meddle with; adulterate. •/You don’t have to doctor up this basic salad with a lot of extras as I am trying to lose weight./

[do duty for]{v. phr.} To substitute for; act in place of. •/The bench often does duty for a table./

[Doe] See: JOHN DOE.

[doesn’t add up to a can of beans]{v. phr.} To be of little or no value. (Said of plans, ideas, etc.) •/"That’s a fairly interesting concept you got there, Mike, but the competition is bound to say that it doesn’t add up to a can of beans."/

[do for]{v.}, {informal} To cause the death or ruin of; cause to fail. — Used usually in the passive form "done for". •/The poor fellow is done for and will die before morning./ •/Andy’s employer always does very well by him./ •/If Jim fails that test, he is done for./

[dog] See: EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY, GO TO THE DOGS, HOT DOG, LEAD A DOG’S LIFE, LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE, RAIN CATS AND DOGS.

[dog days]{n. phr.} The hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (July and August). (The ancient Romans associated this time with the "Dog Star" — Sirius — which becomes visible in the heavens at this time of year.) •/"The dog days are upon us," John said. "It’s time to go swimming in the lake."/

[dog-eat-dog(1)]{n.} A way of living in which every person tries to get what he wants for himself no matter how badly or cruelly he must treat others to get it; readiness to do anything to get what you want. •/In some early frontier towns it was dog-eat-dog./

[dog-eat-dog(2)]{adj.} Ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what you want. •/During the California gold rush, men had a dog-eat-dog life./

[doghouse] See: IN THE DOGHOUSE.

[dog in the manger]{n. phr.} A person who is unwilling to let another use what he himself has no use for. •/Although Valerie lives alone in that big house, she is like a dog in the manger when it comes to letting someone sharing it with her./

[dog one’s steps]{v. phr.} To follow someone closely. •/All the time he was in Havana, Castro’s police were dogging his steps./

[dog’s age] or [coon’s age] {n.}, {informal} A very long time. Usually used after "for" or "in" with a negative. •/Charlie Brown! I haven’t seen you for a coon’s age./ •/Father hasn’t had a night out with the boys in a dog’s age./ •/I waited for him for a dog’s age, but he didn’t come./ Syn.: MONTH OF SUNDAYS.

[dog’s life]{n. phr.} A life of misery, poverty, and unhappiness. •/Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, lived a dog’s life inside an empty barrel./

[do in]{v.}, {slang} 1. To ruin; destroy. •/Mr. Smith’s business was done in by a fire that burned down his store./ 2a. To kill; murder. •/The poor man was done in by two gangsters who ran away after the crime./ 2b. To make tired; exhaust. •/The boys were done in after their long hike./ Syn.: WEAR OUT(2). 3. To cheat; swindle. •/Mr. Jones was done in by two men who claimed to be collecting money for orphans and widows./

[doing] See: NOTHING DOING.