American Slang D Words
In this lesson, we cover essential American slang D words with examples. In general, slang are used mostly in casual street talks among Americans such that even international (non-native) speakers living in the USA can not understand them. Thus, you may use slang in your daily casual conversations especially with Americans. Just be careful and do NOT use slang in formal conversations like job interviews or business meetings.
Slang Recap
In our previous lesson, we covered C-word American Slang.
American Slang with D
dang: darn; wow; used to express frustration or surprise.
Dang! That’s a big building!
date: to have a romantic relationship; to go out with someone, usually to a restaurant or a movie or both.
They’ve been dating for the last year, and they might get married.
deadbeat: a person who doesn’t pay his debts or someone who doesn’t work and is always asking for money.
Those deadbeats who hang out on the corner every day are begging for money again.
dead duck: a person who is in big trouble.
His company went broke and now he’s a dead duck.
deck: hit; knock over with a punch.
Two angry drivers got out of their cars after an accident and then one decked the other.
DJ or deejay: a person who plays music at a nightclub or who plays music at a radio station. (noun or verb)
She’s going to deejay at a big party this weekend.
deep pockets: something you have if you are rich; a supply of money.
Although they lost a lot of money in the stock market, they’ve got pretty deep pockets and should be okay.
demo: a product that sits on a store shelf but isn’t for sale. Usually a TV, a computer, or some other big appliance. If the item is for sale, you get a discount.
Tom got thirty percent off on his digital camera because it was a demo.
dibs, to have dibs on ____: to say that something belongs to you before someone else gets it; to make an early claim of ownership.
I’ve got dibs on that last cake. Don’t anyone touch it.
die: 1. to laugh uncontrollably; 2. to slowly fade away or become much less.
1. The audience was dying with laughter.
2. Business died out in that section of town and now most of the stores are closed.
ding-dong: a stupid person; someone you don’t like.
The ding-dong who sold me my shoes forgot to put one of them in the box. Now I have to go back to the store.
dish it out: to give someone a hard time or to say mean things to another person.
Tom really dishes it out to his employees when they make a mistake.
dog: a woman who isn’t attractive; a bad product.
The microwave that she bought at the store turned out be a dog, so she took it back.
doggy bag: a bag for taking home food leftover at a restaurant.
I can’t finish all this chicken. Let’s ask the waitress for a doggie bag.
do it: have a sexual relationship. (use with caution*)
Do you think they’re doing it yet? They’ve only been going out for two weeks.
do (one’s) own thing: to do something that you enjoy; a hobby.
It’s important to be able to do your own thing on the weekends.
double-dip: to get more money from a job than a person has earned; to dip a single tortilla chip or potato chip twice.
When I saw Jane double-dipping her chips at the party, I stopped eating the salsa because she has a cold.
double take: to look quickly; look at something twice; to be surprised.
The police officer did a double take when he saw what looked like a dog driving a car. It turned out to be a man with really long hair.
double up: to have to go from individual ownership to two people sharing something.
We’ll have to double up some of the students on the computers because there aren’t enough for everyone.
down: to be sad or depressed. (this word has many different meanings and variations, most of them related to sadness: down in the dumps, down on one’s luck, etc.)
A: Why does she look so down?
B: She just found out her cat died.
drag: a negative situation; something bad.
Going to this class is such a drag. The teacher is really boring.
drive crazy: to make someone crazy; to cause intense frustration.
My neighbor’s TV set is so loud, I can’t get to sleep at night and it’s driving me crazy.
dude: 1. a person; 2. a friend; 3. an exclamation of surprise or concern. (This is a very popular word among young people and it can have many different meanings depending on how it’s used.)
1. Go ask that dude over there if he knows what time the show starts.
2. Hey, dude! What are you doing today?
3. Dude! Be careful!
dump: 1. a messy or unclean house or apartment; 2. to put something down
1. Tom didn’t want to take Jennifer back to his apartment because it’s such a dump.
2. Go ahead and dump your laundry on the floor, and then we’ll put it in the machines.
Attention: Some slang is inappropriate in certain situations. That’s why you see the word “caution” after some of these slang words. Some slang is considered to be vulgar.
vulgar = impolite or considered a swear word. Don’t use it around your supervisor or someone who might be offended.
Next Slang Lesson
In our next lesson, we will cover American Slang Word E.
Related Slang Lessons
None
English Slang Outline
If you wish to see all HiCafe lessons related to English slang, you can visit the Common American Slang Phrases page.
English Fluency Resources
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