A practice common in Chicago or Boston winters, in which one puts his/her kitchen chairs, potted plants, or any other object to reserve a parallel parking spot which he or she has cleared of snow.
While looking for parking in the snow storm I saw an open spot, but then I noticed someone was dibsing it with their lawn chairs.
to confuse someone -- the opposite of saying "it dawned on me" Comes from dusk, the time of day when the light is fading. Origin is a well known Penn State psychology professor.