dot

be off (one's) dot

To be crazy or mentally unsound; to be extremely foolish or foolhardy. I'm going to go off my dot if I have to hear that blasted song once more! I think Jane's grandmother is a little off her dot these days. You must be off your dot if you think that's a good idea!

go off (one's) dot

To become crazy or mentally unsound; to become extremely foolish or foolhardy. I'm going to go off my dot if I have to hear that blasted song once more! I think Jane's grandmother has gone off her dot lately. You must have gone off your dot if you think that's a good idea!

off (one's) dot

Crazy; mentally unsound; extremely foolish. I'm going to go off my dot if I have to hear that blasted song once more! I think Jane's grandmother is a little off her dot these days. You must be off your dot if you think that's a good idea!

year dot

An unspecified date in time that occurred long ago, usually used in the phrases "since year dot" and "from year dot." My grandmother always says that she's loved cooking since year dot, but my grandfather is quick to point out that she hated cooking when they first met.

at the dot

Right on time. Exactly at the appointed time. Similar to the phrase "on the dot." I'll be on time, I swear! I'll be there at 9 o'clock at the dot!

dot (one's) I's and cross (one's) t's

To do something carefully and make sure that every last minor detail is completed. Please make sure to dot your i's and cross your t's when signing this contract. I made sure to dot my i's and cross my t's when installing the circuit breaker—you can never be too careful with electrical work.

*on the dot

Fig. at exactly the right time. (*Typically: be somewhere ~; arrive (somewhere) ~; get somewhere ~; see someone ~; show up ~.) I'll be there at noon on the dot. I expect to see you here at eight o'clock on the dot.

See also: dot, on

sign on the dotted line

1. Lit. to indicate one's agreement or assent by placing one's signature on a special line provided for that purpose. (The line may be solid or dotted.) I agreed to the contract, but I haven't signed on the dotted line yet. When you have signed on the dotted line, please give me a call.

2. Fig. to indicate one's agreement to something. Okay. I agree to your terms. I'll sign on the dotted line. He is thinking favorably about going with us to Canada, but he hasn't signed on the bottom line.

See also: dot, line, on, sign

on the dot

(spoken)

exactly You've got to be here at 9 on the dot or we won't make the train.

Usage notes: used mainly of time and in the form of the example

See also: dot, on

connect the dots

to understand the relationship between different ideas or experiences It took years of hard work to connect the dots between the murder and the suspect.

Etymology: from a children's activity in which a picture can be seen when you draw lines to connect numbered dots (small, round marks)

sign on the dotted line

to formally agree to something We signed on the dotted line Wednesday and will move into our new house next week.

Etymology: from the lines on a legal document where a person signs their name to show they agree to it

See also: dot, line, on, sign

dot the/your i's and cross the/your t's

(informal)

to do something very carefully and in a lot of detail She writes highly accurate reports - she always dots her i's and crosses her t's.

on the dot

if something happens at a particular time on the dot, it happens at exactly that time Shops in this part of the city shut at 5.30 pm on the dot. (sometimes + of ) The first customers arrived on the dot of 9 am.

See also: dot, on

sign on the dotted line

to formally agree to something by signing a legal document According to promoter Andrew James, the band has signed on the dotted line and will be playing at the Coliseum on November 2, 3 and 4.

See also: dot, line, on, sign

from/since the year dot

(British & Australian) also from/since the year one (American)

for a very long time Children have been fascinated by ghost stories since the year dot.

See the seven year itch

dot the i's and cross the t's

Be meticulous and precise, fill in all the particulars, as in Laura had dotted all the i's and crossed the t's, so she wondered what she'd done wrong . This expression presumably began as an admonition to schoolchildren to write carefully and is sometimes shortened. William Makepeace Thackeray had it in a magazine article ( Scribner's Magazine, 1849): "I have . . . dotted the i's." [Mid-1800s]

on the dot

Exactly on time, as in We had to be there at eight on the dot. The dot in this idiom is the mark appearing on the face of a watch or clock indicating the time in question. It may come from the earlier to a dot, meaning "exactly" since the early 1700s but no longer heard today. [c. 1900] Also see on the button.

See also: dot, on

sign on the dotted line

Agree formally or fully, as in The deal is just about fixed; all they have to do is sign on the dotted line. This idiom refers to the broken line traditionally appearing at the bottom of a legal document, indicating the place for one's signature. [Early 1900s]

See also: dot, line, on, sign

connect the dots

1. To draw connecting lines between a seemingly random arrangement of numbered dots so as to produce a picture or design.

2. To draw logical inferences connecting items of information to reveal something previously hidden or unknown.

dot (one's) i's

To be thorough or painstaking in attending to details.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Jasminka	-	Croatian
Marcio	MAHR-thyo (Spanish), MAHR-syo (Latin American Spanish)	Spanish
Andromeda	an-DRAW-mə-də (English)	Greek Mythology
Ami (1)	AY-mie (English)	Biblical
Helen	['helən]
Vinzent	VINT-sent	German