Daylights, eyes; “to darken his DAYLIGHTS,” to give a person black eyes. Also the spaces left in glasses between the liquor and the brim,—not allowed when bumpers are drunk. The toast-master in such cases cries “no DAYLIGHTS or heeltaps!”
Daze, to confound or bewilder; an ancient form of dazzle used by Spenser, Drayton, &c. This is more obsolete English than slang, though its use nowadays might fairly bring it within the latter category.
Dead-against, decidedly opposed to.
Dead-alive, stupid, dull.
Dead-amiss, said of a horse that from illness is utterly unable to run for a prize.
Dead-beat, utterly exhausted, utterly “done up.”
Dead-heat, when two horses run home so exactly equal that the judge cannot place one before the other; consequently, a DEAD-HEAT is a heat which counts for nothing, so far as the even runners are concerned, as it has to be run over again. When a race between dead-heaters has been unusually severe, or when the stake is sufficiently good to bear division, it is usual to let one of the animals walk over the course so as to make a deciding heat, and to divide the money. In such case all bets are divided. Sometimes, however, when no arrangement can be made, an owner will withdraw his horse, in which case the animal that walks over wins the whole of the stake, and his backers the whole of their money. Where the course is short and the money of small amount, the DEAD-HEAT is run off, the second essay being called the decider, though on certain occasions even the decider has resulted in a DEAD-HEAT.—See [NECK AND NECK].
Dead-horse, “to draw the DEAD-HORSE;” DEAD-HORSE work—working for wages already paid; also any thankless or unassisted service.
Dead-letter, an action of no value or weight; an article, owing to some mistake in its production, rendered utterly valueless,—often applied to any instrument in writing, which by some apparently trivial omission, becomes useless. At the general and large district post-offices, there is a department for letters which have been erroneously addressed, or for which, from many and various causes, there are no receivers. These are called DEAD-LETTERS, and the office in connexion with them is known as the DEAD-LETTER office.
Dead-lock, a permanent standstill, an inextricable entanglement.