What it means
Dead on means exactly right, bang on, properly correct. In Irish and Northern Irish speech it also gets used for people. If someone's dead on, they're decent, easygoing, helpful, and not out to mess you about. You can say it about an answer, a plan, directions, or a person who's just good craic and easy to get on with.
Usage examples
"Met the new neighbour and he’s dead on, lent me a hand with the sofa and wouldn’t take a tenner. Fair play to him."
"Asked the bus driver if I was on the right route home and he was dead on, even radioed his mate to check my stop was running on time tonight."
"Wee Aoife from the office is dead on, covered my shift on Saturday without a fuss and refused the tenner I tried to slip her on Monday morning."
"You were dead on about that shortcut, got us there ten minutes quicker and no one was left trudging round in circles."
"I didn’t know her before last night but she was dead on, got everyone home safe and made sure nobody was stranded."
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