L.A.
** L.A. (colloq.): Los Angeles, California >He moved to L.A. because he got tired of the cold winters in the Midwest.
LADY
— [one’s] lady (colloq.): [one’s] wife, [one’s] sweetheart or steady companion (a woman) >Your lady’s a fine woman, Doug.
* [one’s] old lady1 (sl., freq. pej.): [one’s] mother >Trent’s old lady won’t let him go to the movies on a school night.
— [one’s] old lady2 (sl., freq. pej.): [one’s] wife or girlfriend >Your old lady’s gonna yell at ya if ya come home drunk.
LADY-KILLER
— lady-killer (colloq.): man whom women find sexually or romantically irresistible (esp. a promiscuous man) >That lady-killer has broken more hearts than you can imagine.
LAID
* get laid (by) (vulg.): have sex (with) >He says he hopes to get laid after he takes her home tonight. >Monica said she got laid by him last night.
LAID-BACK
* laid-back (sl.): relaxed, unworried, carefree, easygoing >Josh’s real laid-back. Nothin’ ever bugs him. >It was a quiet, laid-back kind of party.
LAKE
— go jump in the lake! (see JUMP)
LA-LA LAND
— La-La Land (lä´lä´land´) (sl.): imaginary or fantasy world, (with an) irrational or unrealistic mentality >Albert’s livin’ in La-La Land if he thinks the planning committee will go for that crazy idea.
LAM
— on the lam (... lam) (sl.): escaping, hiding (esp. from the police) >He’s been on the lam ever since he robbed that bank in Lubbock.
LAMBAST
— lambast (lam bast´) (see “LAMBASTE”)
LAMBASTE
— lambaste (lam bāst´) (vt) (colloq.): reprimand, severely criticize, berate >He got lambasted in the newspapers for using ethnic slurs.
LAME
* lame (sl.): bad, uninteresting, inadequate >His so-called party was really lame.
LAMEBRAIN
— lamebrain (colloq.): stupid or inept person, fool >Keep an eye on that lamebrain so he doesn’t mess us up.
LAMEBRAINED
— lamebrained (lām´brānd´) (colloq.): stupid, foolish >Whose lamebrained idea was it to start the stove with gasoline?
LAND
* land (vt) (colloq.): win, secure, obtain, capture >He landed a big clean-up contract with the city. >I envy whoever lands that gorgeous guy.
LANGUAGE
— speak [s/one’s] language (see SPEAK)
— speak the same language (see SPEAK)
LAP
— (drop/dump [s/thing]) in [s/one’s] lap (colloq.): (make [s/thing]) [s/one’s] responsibility or obligation >She dropped the problem in her husband’s lap. >I don’t want this project in my lap.
— lap up (vt) (colloq.): accept eagerly, receive enthusiastically >He was sweet-talking them, and they were lapping it up.
LAPTOP
* laptop (colloq.): small and portable personal computer >I’ll work on it on my laptop while I’m on the plane.
LARD
— tub of lard (see TUB)
LARDASS
— lardass (lärd´as´) (vulg., pej.): very fat person (esp. one with fat buttocks) (also voc.) >That lardass is gonna break the chair. >Hurry up and get on the bus, lardass!
LARGE
— live large (see LIVE)
LAST LEGS
— be on [one’s/its] last legs (colloq.): be close to death or failure, have little time left >Old Mrs. Jenkins is back in the hospital again. I think she’s on her last legs. >I gotta get me a new car, because this old crate’s on its last legs.
LATCH
* latch onto (colloq.): join or accompany with persistence, cling to, grab, obtain >Some boring guy latched onto me at the party, and I couldn’t get rid of him. >Where’d you latch onto that old six-gun?
LATE
— will be late to/for [one’s] own funeral (colloq., hum.): is habitually late >Let’s not wait for Frank—he’ll be late to his own funeral.
LATER
* later! (sl.): so long! see you later! >Later, guy! I gotta run.
LATHER
— (all) in a lather (... lað´әr) (colloq.): very troubled or agitated, very nervous or excited >Eloise’s all in a lather about her court appearance.
LATS
— lats (lats) (colloq.): latissimus dorsi muscles >This exercise is good for your lats.
LAUGH
* laugh1 (colloq.): person or thing worthy of contempt or ridicule, laughable person or thing >The mayor’s so-called Corruption Task Force is a laugh because half its members are taking bribes. >Him, a policeman? That’s a laugh.
— laugh2 (colloq.): amusing or funny person or thing >Invite Virgil to the party—the guy’s a laugh.
— laugh it up (colloq.): laugh and joke (esp. continuously) >The guys were off in one corner laughing it up all night.
* laugh [s/one] out of (colloq.): drive [s/one] out of, destroy [s/one’s] credibility in (through ridicule or scorn) >They’ll laugh you out of court if you file that stupid lawsuit. >He was laughed out of the university because of his flying saucer theories.
LAUGHS
* laughs (colloq.): capricious or mischievous fun, thrills or amusement >We used to knock over garbage cans for laughs. >Watching him trying to explain it to the cops was good for a few laughs.
— a barrel of laughs (see BARREL)
LAUNDER
* launder (vt) (colloq.): conceal the source of (money) by transferring or converting it through an intermediary >He said some foreign bank was laundering drug money for a ten percent cut.
LAUNDRY LIST
— laundry list (colloq.): list of things desired or matters to be dealt with (esp. a long and varied one) >The union representative brought a laundry list of demands to the negotiating session.
LAW
— lay down the law (see LAY)
— the law (colloq.): the police >Then the law showed up and started hauling people away.
LAWYER
— lawyer up (vi) (sl.): demand a lawyer before answering police questions >The cops were hopin’ to get a confession outta him, but he lawyered up before they could interrogate him.
LAY
* lay1 (vulg.): copulation, episode of sexual intercourse >That sailor needs a good lay after bein’ at sea for two months.
— lay2 (vulg.): sex partner >Was she a good lay?
* lay3 (vt) (vulg.): have sex with >He said he laid her last night.
* lay a hand/finger on (colloq.): just touch, hurt in the slightest (used esp. in the neg.) >Don’t worry—we didn’t lay a hand on him. >Don’t you dare lay a finger on my kid!
* lay back (vi) (sl.): relax, get rid of stress >I’d like to go to Cancún and just lay back for a couple of weeks.
— lay [one’s] cards on the table (see CARDS)
— lay/lie down on the job (colloq.): work halfheartedly, work without due alertness >The quality control people were laying down on the job when these shoddy pieces got through.
* lay down the law (colloq.): impose (one’s) authority, demand obedience to strict measures >We need someone to lay down the law and get this organization back on track.
— lay eyes on (see EYES)
— lay/get [one’s] hands on (see HANDS)
— lay into (colloq.): attack vigorously (physically or verbally) >The kid laid into him with both fists. >They laid into the project manager for screwing up the plans.
* lay it on the line (colloq.): speak frankly, deal in a straightforward way (with a sensitive issue) >Look, I’ll lay it on the line—give me a twenty percent raise or I quit.
* lay it on (thick) (colloq.): be overly flattering, exaggerate or lie creatively >He laid it on thick and pretty soon had her believing it all. >He really laid it on, but the cops didn’t believe him.
* lay/lie low (colloq.): remain inconspicuous, wait patiently and quietly, not attract attention >Just lie low until this whole mess is over. >He laid low until he saw his chance, and then he made his move.
* lay off1 (vi, vt) (colloq.): stop mistreating or annoying (s/one) >The poor guy’s not feeling well, so lay off. >She’s been through a rough time, so lay off her, will you?
* lay off2 (vt) (colloq.): stop or quit (s/thing annoying or harmful) >Lay off the sarcastic remarks, OK? >He’d better lay off the liquor and sober up.
— lay [s/thing] on (sl.): tell or give [s/thing] to, force or impose [s/thing] on >Wait till I lay this juicy piece of gossip on ya! >This dude I don’t even know just laid a six-pack of beer on me. >My mom’s always tryin’ to lay a guilt trip on my brother for not visiting her.
— lay out1 (vt) (colloq.): spend (money) (esp. a large amount) >I bet they laid out over $5000 for this reception.
— lay out2 (vt) (sl.): knock down (esp. with a punch) >He laid the bully out with a right jab to the chin.
— lay [s/thing] out for (colloq.): explain [s/thing] in detail to >Come over for dinner tomorrow and I’ll lay the whole plan out for you.
— lay/burn rubber (see RUBBER)
* lay up (vt) (colloq.): disable, keep bedridden or unable to work >That flu laid me up for over a week. >He’s been laid up with a bad back.
LAYING
— laying for (colloq.): lying in wait for, preparing to attack >He’s been laying for you ever since you badmouthed him.
LAYOUT
* layout (colloq.): establishment or residence and all its features >You should see his penthouse, with a water bed, built-in stereo, wet bar—it’s quite a layout.
LAZYBONES
— lazybones (colloq.): lazy person, person who oversleeps (also voc.) >Tell that lazybones to get out of bed or he’ll be late for work. >Wake up, lazybones!
LEAD
* get the lead out (... led ...) (sl.): hurry up, work faster, go faster >I told ‘em to get the lead out ‘cause we didn’t have all day.
— go over like a lead balloon (... led ...) (sl., sarc.): gain no acceptance or enthusiasm, be received with disapproval, fail >His idea to hire convicted sex offenders went over like a lead balloon.
— lead [s/one] (around) by the nose (lēd ...) (colloq.): dominate or control [s/one] completely >The poor guy’s wife leads him around by the nose.
LEAD FOOT
— lead foot (led ...) (colloq.): tendency to drive an automobile very fast >Tell Victor to keep his eye on the speedometer—he’s got a lead foot.
LEAGUE
* out of [one’s] league (colloq.): in a situation that [one] cannot properly deal with (due to a lack of talent or experience) >He’s used to selling houses, but he’s out of his league tryin’ to handle that commercial building.
LEAK
* take a leak (sl., freq. vulg.): urinate >I’ll be right back—I gotta take a leak after all that beer I drank.
LEAN
— lean on (colloq.): put pressure on (esp. with coercion) >The boss has been leaning on him to increase production.
— bend/lean over backward(s) (see BACKWARD)
LEAP
— (go) take a flying leap! (see FLYING)
LEAVE
— can take [s/thing] or leave [it] (see TAKE)
— leave [s/one] flat (colloq.): abandon or desert [s/one], leave [s/one] in need >He promised her the world but left her flat after two weeks.
— leave [s/one] holding the bag (see HOLDING)
— pick up and leave (see PICK)
LECH
— lech (see “LETCH”)
LEFT
* have two left feet (colloq.): be awkward at dancing or moving, dance poorly >Jimmy’s never going to learn to rumba—he’s got two left feet.
— would give [one’s] left/right nut (see GIVE)
LEFT FIELD
* out in left field (sl.): not knowing what’s happening, having strange or mistaken ideas, very wrong >Don’t ask my sister-in-law about it—she’s out in left field.
— out of left field (colloq.): sudden and unexpected, incongruous or strange (also adv.) >His comments on reincarnation at the Chamber of Commerce meeting were really out of left field. >Johnson’s coming out of left field. I don’t know what he’s trying to say.
LEFTY
* lefty (lef´tē) (colloq.): left-handed person (also voc.) >Let Barbara sit at this end of the table—she’s a lefty. >Hey, lefty, how you doing?
LEG
— an arm and a leg (see ARM)
— break a leg! (see BREAK)
— give/have a leg up (on) (colloq.): give/have an advantage (over) >That experience will give you a leg up for the job. >We’ll have a leg up on the competition if we can get a domestic supplier.
— leg it (sl.): go on foot, race (s/where) >My bike’s broke, so I’m gonna have to leg it to work today. >When the fight broke out we decided to leg it outta there.
— pull [s/one’s] leg (see PULL)
— shake a leg (see SHAKE)
LEGAL EAGLE
— legal eagle (colloq.): lawyer (esp. a clever one) >He got some legal eagle to find a loophole in the contract.
LEGIT
* legit (lә jit´) (sl.): legitimate, authentic (also adv.) >Stop worryin’! This deal’s perfectly legit. >This stuff is legit—fourteen karat gold. >We won it legit—no cheatin’.
LEGS
— be on [one's/its] last legs (see LAST LEGS)
— have legs (sl.): have staying power, stay relevant, endure (esp. beyond expectation) >Everybody thought that people would lose interest in his plan right away, but it has legs and they’re still talking about it.
— stretch [one’s] legs (see STRETCH)
LEGWORK
* legwork (colloq.): physical or routine work involved in a project (esp. the gathering of information) >His grad students did all the legwork on the research, but he took all the credit.
LEMME
— lemme (le´mē) (colloq.): let me >Lemme see if the door is unlocked.
LEMON
** lemon (colloq.): defective product (esp. an automobile) >He’s spent a fortune trying to get that lemon to run right.
LESBO
— lesbo (lez´bō) (sl., pej.): lesbian, female homosexual >He called Audry a lesbo just ‘cause she knows how to stand up for herself.
LESS
— in less than no time (colloq.): in a very short time, very quickly >I’ll have this ready for you in less than no time.
LET
— let/blow/cut a fart (see FART)
— let ‘er rip! (... әr ...) (colloq.): proceed! (with full speed or power) go ahead! (without restraint or inhibition) >If you feel like yelling, Mack, just let ‘er rip!
* let ([oneself]) go (colloq.): begin behaving without inhibition or restraint >Quiet old Lenowitz really let himself go last night and was the life of the party. >Hey, let go and have some fun!
— let go (with)1 (colloq.): send forth aggressively, hurl, shoot, unleash >She let go a snowball that got him right in the face. >They let go with all their firepower.
— let go (with)2 (colloq.): blurt out, yell, say aggressively >Then the guy let go with a loud yell. >Scotty let go a string of insults they’ll never forget.
* let [one’s] hair down (colloq.): relax, behave uninhibitedly >Let’s go to the party—you can have a few drinks and let your hair down.
** let [s/one] have it (colloq.): vigorously attack or strike out against [s/one] (physically or verbally) >When Jerry walked through the door, his wife let him have it with a big wooden spoon. >Her boss let her have it for screwing up the meeting plans.
— let [s/one] have it with both barrels (sl.): vigorously attack [s/one] verbally, severely reprimand [s/one] >If Ev says one word about my weight, I’m gonna let him have it with both barrels.
— let it all hang out (see HANG)
— let loose (colloq.): begin behaving without inhibition or restraint >Have a couple of drinks and let loose, man.
— let loose (with)1 (colloq.): send forth aggressively, hurl, shoot, unleash >Al let loose a punch that knocked the guy right on his butt. >If they give you any trouble, let loose with everything you got.
— let loose (with)2 (colloq.): blurt out, yell, say aggressively >He let loose with a yell you could hear in the next county. >Angie was so mad she let loose a tongue-lashing that really put him in his place.
— let/blow off steam (see STEAM)
* let on (that) (colloq.): outwardly show (what one supposedly thinks or feels), pretend (that) >If he’s worried, he’s sure not letting on. >When the salesman came up, Hubie let on that he really wasn’t interested.
* let [s/thing] ride (colloq.): let [s/thing] continue without change, not take action on [s/thing] >Just let things ride and see what happens.
* let [s/thing] slide (colloq.): let [s/thing] continue without remedy, not interfere in or react to [s/thing] >I don’t think the bank examiners are going to let this slide, because they’re sticklers for regulations. >I can’t let it slide when he insults me in public.
— let the cat out of the bag (colloq.): disclose a secret (esp. unintentionally) >That moron Rudy let the cat out of the bag, and now everybody knows.
LETCH
— letch (lech) (sl.): lecher, lascivious or lustful man >That letch can’t keep his hands off women.
LEVEL
— level (vt) (colloq.): knock down >She leveled the guy with a punch to the neck.
** level with (colloq.): speak truthfully to, be straightforward with, avoid deceiving >I’m going to level with you—you don’t have a future in this line of work.
* on the level (colloq.): honest, legitimate, without deceit (also adv.) >Is this massage parlor on the level? >You won’t have any problems with this car, on the level.
LEVIS
** Levis (lē´vīz) (colloq.): blue jeans >I want to buy some new Levis before school starts.
LEZBO
— lezbo (see LESBO)
LIB
* ... lib (lib) (colloq.): ... liberation >Henry says he’s all for women’s lib.
LIBBER
— ... libber (lib´әr) (colloq.): ... liberation advocate >He’s not gay, but he’s a gay libber.
LIBERATE
— liberate (vt) (sl.): steal, take without authorization >Sneak into the storeroom and see if ya can liberate a new stapler for me, will ya?
LICK
— lick1 (sl.): blow, hit, punch >He won the fight, but I got in a few good licks. >Give it a lick with the sledgehammer.
— lick2 (colloq.): single period of activity or effort >We can load up the truck in one lick. >The teacher grades ten exams at a lick.
* lick3 (vt) (sl.): defeat, beat, outdo >He got licked good in that fight. >They’re a good team, but we can lick ‘em.
— lick [one’s] chops (colloq.): anticipate (s/thing) with relish or pleasure, wait with anticipation >They’re smelling the roast and licking their chops. >I licked my chops thinking about all the dough I was going to make.
— whip/lick [s/thing, s/one] into shape (see WHIP)
LICKED
— have [s/thing] licked (colloq.): have finally completed or solved [s/thing] >Painting the house hasn’t been so bad—one more wall and we’ll have it licked. >I think I’ve got the problem licked now that I’ve cleaned off the corrosion.
LICKETY-SPLIT
— lickety-split (lik´i tē split´) (colloq.): very quickly, at great speed >Get over there lickety-split and find out what the problem is. >We were going lickety-split down the highway when the tire blew out.
LICKING
— licking (sl.): beating, defeat >They gave him a good lickin’ for mouthin’ off. >We took a lickin’ with that mining company stock.
LID
* lid1 (colloq.): maintenance of silence, veil of secrecy >We got to keep the lid on our plans for a while.
— lid2 (sl.): ounce of marijuana >He got busted with three lids in his car.
— blow the lid off (of) (see BLOW)
— flip [one’s] lid (see FLIP)
* put a lid on (sl.): stop saying or speaking >Put a lid on it, mister! We’re sick of your complainin’. >I told Jake to put a lid on the vulgar language.
LIE
— lay/lie down on the job (see LAY)
— lay/lie low (see LAY)
* lie through [one’s] teeth (colloq.): lie openly or without shame >He’s lying through his teeth if that’s what he says.
* no lie! (sl.): that’s the truth! that’s for sure! >No lie! It’s gonna be dangerous as hell!
LIFE
** life (colloq.): prison sentence extending until death >The judge could give him twenty-five years to life for the murder.
* get a life! (sl.): stop acting so ridiculously! stop bothering me with your petty concerns! >Don’t ya have anything better to do than squawk about how they’re plannin’ their wedding? Man, get a life!
— fixed for life (see FIXED)
* for the life of me ... I [neg.] (colloq.): no matter how hard I try ... I [neg.] >I met her just last week, but for the life of me I can’t remember her name.
— live (life) in the fast lane (see FAST LANE)
— live (life) on the edge (see EDGE)
* not on your life! (colloq.): under no circumstances! not for anything in the world! >Me, try sky-diving? Not on your life!
* the life of the party (colloq.): a very fun or amusing person, the most entertaining or lively person (at a social gathering) >Belinda had a couple of whiskey sours and became the life of the party.
— the time of [one’s] life (see TIME)
— you (can) bet your life (see BET)
LIFE OF RILEY
— the life of Riley (... rī´lē) (colloq.): a comfortable and easy life, a pleasant way of living >He’s been leading the life of Riley ever since he came into all that money.
LIFER
* lifer (lī´fәr) (sl.): prisoner sentenced to prison until death >Careful with that dude—he’s a lifer and he’s as bad as they come.
LIFT
** lift1 (colloq.): ride (esp. in an automobile) >Can you give me a lift downtown?
— lift2 (vt) (sl.): steal, shoplift >The kid lifted three CDs from the store.
— lift3 (vt) (colloq.): plagiarize, take (what another has written) as (one’s) own >The senator got in trouble for lifting material from other people’s speeches.
* lift a hand/finger (colloq.): put out the slightest effort (used esp. in the neg.) >None of those bums would lift a finger to help clean up. >He never lifts a hand around the house.
LIGHT
— light (colloq.): below the expected or required amount or number, short >Hey, this payment’s twenty bucks light. Where’s the rest?
— go out like a light (see GO)
— light/build a fire under (colloq.): stimulate to take action or work faster >We’re going to have to light a fire under the manager if we’re going to get this taken care of before Christmas.
* light into (colloq.): attack vigorously (physically or verbally) >He really lit into his staff for not having the report ready.
— light out (vi) (colloq.): start traveling, depart (esp. quickly) >We’ll light out for the mountains first thing in the morning. >They lit out when they saw the police car.
— out like a light (see OUT)
* see the light (colloq.): finally accept or understand (what one rejected or ignored previously), accept the truth >She’d tried for years to get him to stop smoking, but when his brother died of lung cancer he saw the light and quit.
LIGHTEN
** lighten up (vi) (sl.): not take (s/thing) so seriously, become less intense, relax >Lighten up! He didn’t mean anything by what he said.
LIGHTS
— punch/put [s/one’s] lights out (sl.): beat [s/one] unconscious, beat [s/one] up >Don’t argue with that bruiser or he’ll punch your lights out.
LIGHTWEIGHT
— lightweight (colloq.): person of little importance or influence (also adj.) >Forget what that joker said—he’s a lightweight. >Do they think they can win this case using that lightweight lawyer?
LIKE
* like (vt) (colloq.): predict as winner, believe (s/one) will prevail, favor >Who do you like in the Smith-Jones fight tomorrow?
— be like ... (sl.): say ..., respond by saying ..., react thus ... (when recounting s/thing) >I saw Bernie yesterday, and he was like, “How come you didn’t answer the text I sent you?,” and I was like, “I’ve been real busy,” and he was like “Don’t ya have time for your friends anymore?,” and I was like, “Whatever.” >When I saw the car crash I was like, “Oh, my God!”
— how do you like them apples? (see THEM)
— it’s like this: (see THIS)
** like ... (colloq.): uh ... (crutch word to fill a pause or introduce s/thing hard to express) >The movie was, like, really awesome! >Like, what do you want to do tonight?
— ...-like (colloq.): somewhat ... (also adv.) >Watching him lose control was weird-like. >She was just staring at me sexy-like.
— like (a/the) ... (see entry under ... word[s])
— like it or lump it (sl.): take it or leave it, you have no other choice >I told her old man I was gonna marry his daughter and that he could like it or lump it.
— like(d) to (colloq.): nearly, almost (react strongly) >He like to had a heart attack when he found out. >I liked to split a gut laughing when he told me the story.
— tell it like it is (see TELL)
— that’s more like it (see THAT’S)
LIKELY
* a likely story (colloq., sarc.): a very improbable account or excuse, a probable lie or exaggeration >He said he was late because he had a flat tire—a likely story!
LIKES
— the likes of (colloq.): anyone/anything like >I don’t want you hanging around with the likes of that punk. >Have you ever seen the likes of it?
LILY-WHITE
— lily-white (colloq.): having only white people, excluding people of color >That company is lily-white because its owner is a racist.
LIMB
* out on a limb (colloq.): in a difficult or vulnerable situation >I’m not going to go out on a limb and cosign on a loan for that deadbeat brother of yours.
LIMEY
— limey (lī´mē) (sl., freq. pej.): Britisher, Englishman (also adj.) >He says he met a lot of limeys during the war. >He says he don’t like limey cookin’.
LIMIT
— the limit (colloq.): outrageous person or thing, utmost person or thing (of a certain quality, esp. an annoying one) >Man, that jerk’s the limit! I can’t work with him.
LIMO
** limo (lim´ō) (colloq.): limousine >He rented a limo to take her to the prom.
LIMP-WRISTED
— limp-wristed (sl.): effeminate, homosexual >Him and his limp-wristed friends went to some gay bar.
LINE
* line1 (colloq.): glib talk, calculated or exaggerated talk (esp. to impress or persuade) >He’s got a standard line for picking up women. >Don’t give me that line about how hard things are for you.
* line2 (colloq.): occupation, profession >I’m in retail sales. What’s your line?
— down the line (see DOWN)
— drop [s/one] a line (see DROP)
— lay it on the line (see LAY)
— line [one’s] (own) pockets (colloq.): make money for [oneself] (by illicit or questionable means) >The commissioner has been lining his pockets with bribes and kickbacks.
* on the line (colloq.): at risk, in jeopardy >You’d better get that contract, because your job’s on the line. >He put his reputation on the line by backing that risky project.
* out of line (colloq.): impertinent, disregarding rules or protocol >Dixon was way out of line when he tried to tell June how to run her department.
— toe the line (see TOE)
LINGO
— lingo (ling´gō) (colloq.): type or style of language, jargon, strange or foreign language >I don’t understand much of that pilot lingo. >You speak Guillermo’s lingo, don’t you?
LIP
— button (up) [one’s] lip (see BUTTON)
— give [s/one] (some) lip (sl.): speak insolently or impudently to [s/one], answer [s/one] disrespectfully >He started givin’ me some lip, so I punched him. >Don’t’ give me no lip or you’ll be outta here.
— zip [one’s] lip (see ZIP)
LIPS
— read my lips! (see READ)
LIP SERVICE
— (pay) lip service (colloq.): (express) support or praise that is superficial or insincere >That congressman pays lip service to veterans, but he never supports legislation that would really help them. >All I get from you is lip service. When are you actually going to do something to help?
LIQUORED
— liquored up (lik´әrd ...) (colloq.): drunk (esp. from hard liquor) >He went home all liquored up and picked a fight with his wife.
LIST
— go down the list (colloq.): enumerate, specify (a number of things) >Why I don’t like that clown? I’ll go down the list for you.
LISTEN
— give [s/thing]/have a listen (colloq.): listen (to), hear, pay attention (to) >The doc gave my heart a listen and said it sounded OK. >You say your car’s running rough? Let me have a listen.
* listen up (vi) (colloq.): pay close attention (to what is being said), listen carefully (used esp. as a command) >I want you all to listen up—this is important.
LIT
* lit1 (colloq.): literature (esp. as a course of study) >What grade did you get in English lit last semester?
— lit2 (sl.): drunk >Burt was pretty lit when the party ended, so I drove him home.
— lit up like a Christmas tree (sl.): very drunk >He stumbled in at two in the morning lit up like a Christmas tree.
LITTERBUG
* litterbug (colloq.): person who litters public areas with trash >Why can’t those damn litterbugs use the trash cans?
LITTLE
— a little bird told me (see BIRD)
— get a little/some (see GET)
— get a little/some on the side (see GET)
— little black book (colloq.): small notebook with names and phone numbers of available or desirable women (kept by a single man) >I’ll just check my little black book to see who I can ask to the show.
— little shaver (colloq.): small boy >What’s a little shaver like him doing out on the street at this hour?
— the little woman (colloq., freq. pej.): (one’s) wife >Bring the little woman in to see if she likes it, because I can give you a good price on it.
— wrap/twist [s/one] around [one’s] little finger (see WRAP)
LITTLE-BITSY
— little-bitsy (lit´l bit´sē) (colloq.): very small, tiny >I was hoping for more than this little-bitsy diamond.
LITTLE-BITTY
— little-bitty (lit´l bit´ē) (colloq.): very small, tiny >All they served were these little-bitty sandwiches and olives.
LIVE
* can live with (colloq.): find acceptable or satisfactory >The car we want’s not available in blue—just in silver—but we can live with that.
* live it up (colloq.): enjoy (oneself) thoroughly, live in a wild and pleasureful way >We only got two days of vacation left, so let’s live it up.
— live large (colloq.): have an extravagant or opulent lifestyle >Baxter's been living large ever since he inherited all that dough.
— live (life) in the fast lane (see FAST LANE)
— live (life) on the edge (see EDGE)
LIVE ONE
— live one (līv ...) (sl.): person who is easily tricked or used >Hey, get the cards and poker chips—we got a live one over at Murray’s place.
LIVE WIRE
— live wire (līv ...) (colloq.): vivacious or vibrant person >Gwen’s husband’s a real live wire—he entertained us all night.
LIVING
— beat/knock the (living) daylights out of (see DAYLIGHTS)
— beat/knock/kick the (living) shit out of (see SHIT)
— scare the (living) daylights out of (see DAYLIGHTS)
— scare the (living) shit out of (see SHIT)
LIVING END
— the living end (sl., dtd.): the most desirable or beautiful person or thing, the best >I think Raymond is the living end!
LOAD
— a load (of ...) (colloq.): much (...), many (...) >That clown’s going to be a load of trouble for us. >Poor guy’s got a load of problems.
* get a load of (sl.): observe, take notice of (esp. s/thing extraordinary or contemptible) (used esp. as a command) >Hey, get a load of that foxy girl he’s with! >You should get a load of the lies he’s layin’ on ‘em about how famous he is.
* load up (on) (colloq.): take (for [one’s] use) a great deal (of), eat or drink a great deal (of) >Lillian loads up on cold remedies every November. >I don’t want the kids loading up on junk food before dinner.
* take a load off ([one’s] feet) (sl.): sit down, rest a while >Take a load off—you’ve been on your feet all day.
LOADED
** loaded1 (sl.): very wealthy, having a great deal of money >You should see the fancy cars Amos drives—the guy’s loaded.
* loaded2 (sl.): fully equipped, having all the accessories or special equipment (esp. an automobile) >This baby’s loaded—cruise control, power seats, navigation system, you name it.
* loaded3 (sl.): drunk, intoxicated (on alcohol or drugs) >The bum was already loaded when he stumbled into the bar and ordered a bottle.
LOADS
* loads (of ...) (colloq.): much (...), many (...) >We got loads of three-ring binders at the office. >Thanks loads for your help.
LOAF
— pinch a loaf (see PINCH)
LOAN SHARK
— loan shark (colloq.): person who lends money at extremely high rates (esp. illegally) >He owes some loan shark over $8000.
LOCAL
— local yokel (colloq., pej.): local resident of a small town or rural area >All the local yokels are against having the dump site near them.
LOCK
— have a lock on (colloq.): be assured of success in or possession of >We win this one and we got a lock on the championship. >They say she has a lock on the senate seat.
— lock horns (colloq.): be in a dispute (with one another), fight or contend (with one another) >The governor and the legislature have locked horns on this issue before.
— lock up (vt) (colloq.): gain assured success in or possession of >I want to lock up the award by really working hard this last month. >If you ask me, Tornelli’s got the vice president’s spot locked up.
LOCO
— loco (lō´kō) (sl.): crazy, mentally unbalanced >Ya gotta be loco to think ya can get away with cheatin’ the mob.
LOG
— like a bump on a log (see BUMP)
— sleep like a log (see SLEEP)
LOGS
— saw logs (see SAW)
LONESOME
— (all) by [one’s] lonesome (colloq.): by [one]self, alone >He couldn’t find anyone to help, so he did it all by his lonesome.
LONG
— long drink of water (colloq.): tall and thin person >Hey, your friend—that long drink of water—does he play basketball?
* long haul1 (colloq.): long distance, long trip (esp. when traveled with difficulty or sacrifice) >L.A. to Las Cruces is a long haul for one day’s driving.
* long haul2 (colloq.): long period of time (esp. if endured with difficulty or sacrifice) >It’ll be a long haul, but I’m determined to get my degree.
* long time no see (sl.): I haven’t seen you for a long time >Hey, Fred, long time no see! Where ya been keepin’ yourself?
* over the long haul (colloq.): in the long run, over a long period of time >This is the most stable kind of investment over the long haul.
— so long (see SO)
LONGHAIR
— longhair (colloq., freq. pej.): person devoted to intellectual or artistic pursuits (esp. classical music) (also adj.) >You can bet all the longhairs are going to that concert. >He really likes that longhair music.
LONG JOHNS
* long johns (... jonz) (colloq.): long and warm underwear >I got to get some new long johns for the cold weather.
LONG SHOT
** long shot (colloq.): competitor with little chance to win, venture or attempt with little chance to succeed >That horse is a long shot, but I got a hunch he’ll win. >Finding the right combination was a long shot, but we did it.
* by a long shot (colloq.): by far, by a large degree >Bert’s the best bowler here by a long shot. >He didn’t convince me, not by a long shot.
LOOK
* look alive! (colloq.): be alert! pay attention! speed it up! >Look alive, people! The big boss will be here any second. >Look alive! We ain’t got all day for this.
— look at [s/one] cross-eyed (colloq.): offend [s/one] in the slightest way, do anything at which [s/one] may take offense >You can’t look at Louie cross-eyed without him getting mad at you.
— look down [one’s] nose at (colloq.): view with contempt, scorn, disapprove of >The Granvilles look down their noses at anyone living on the other side of the avenue. >He looks down his nose at men with earrings.
* look who’s talking! (colloq.): (one) could be accused of what (one) is criticizing (another) for! (one) is as guilty as (another) that (one) is blaming! >Look who’s talking! You flunked out of college, same as him!
LOOKER
— looker (sl.): very attractive person >Why didn’t ya tell me your sister was such a looker?
LOOKIE-LOO
— lookie-loo (lŭk´ē lū´) (sl.): curious spectator or onlooker, person who watches or inspects without participating >There were a few lookie-loos at the open house, but no serious buyers. >All the lookie-loos are slowin’ down traffic.
LOOKING
— be looking at (colloq.): face the prospect of (esp. an estimate of money or time) >You’re looking at at least $500 to get this fixed. >He’s looking at three years in jail if he’s convicted.
— here’s looking at you! (colloq.): here’s to you! cheers! (said as a toast) >Well, here’s looking at you! Drink up!
* looking up (vi) (colloq.): improving, showing better prospects >Business has been looking up since we started the advertising campaign.
LOOK-SEE
— look-see (colloq.): quick look, quick inspection >Your engine’s running rough—let me have a look-see.
LOOKY
— looky! (lŭk´ē) (colloq.): look! behold! >Looky! There’s one of those cars you’ve been talking about.
LOONY
— loony (lū´nē) (colloq.): crazy, mentally unbalanced >I’d have to be loony to pay them before I checked their work over.
LOONY BIN
— loony bin (lū´nē ...) (colloq.): insane asylum, psychiatric hospital >Wilbur’s been acting real weird—I think he’s ready for the loony bin.
LOONY-TOON
— loony-toon (see “LOONY-TUNE”)
LOONY-TUNE
— loony-tune (lū´nē tūn´) (sl.): crazy person >That poor guy’s a real loony-tune—he hears voices and everything.
LOOP
— in/out of the loop (colloq.): involved/not involved (in a decision-making process), informed/not informed (about an ongoing situation) >He claims he was out of the loop and doesn’t know who gave the OK. >Keep me in the loop so I can update the boss.
— knock [s/one] for a loop (see KNOCK)
— throw/knock [s/one] for a loop (see THROW)
LOOPED
— looped (colloq.): drunk, intoxicated >Edwin was pretty looped, so I drove him home.
LOOSE
— cut [s/one] loose (see CUT)
— cut loose (with) (see CUT)
* hang/stay loose (sl.): stay calm, not let (s/thing) annoy (one), relax >I’ll hang loose. What happens, happens. >Stay loose, man—don’t let it get ya down.
— have a screw loose (see SCREW)
— let loose (see LET)
— let loose (with) (see LET)
LOOSE CANNON
— loose cannon (colloq.): person who is dangerously out of control or irresponsible (esp. within an organization) >Kearney’s a loose cannon—someone’s going to have to get him under control.
LOOT
— loot (sl.): money (esp. a substantial amount) >How’s the sales job? Ya makin’ a lot of loot?
LORDY
— lordy! (lôr´dē) (colloq.): (interj. to express surprise, wonder, or disappointment) >Lordy! Just look at those expensive prices! >Canned peas again? Lordy!
LOSE
* lose (vt) (sl.): evade, get rid of >He tried followin’ me, but I lost him. >Hey, lose that clown ya came in with, and let’s go somewhere quiet.
— lose (all) [one’s] marbles (sl.): go crazy, begin to behave or think irrationally >Bingham can’t be serious! Has he lost all his marbles?
— win/lose by a nose (see NOSE)
— blow/lose [one’s] cool (see COOL)
* lose it (sl.): lose control or dominance (esp. of one’s emotional state) >Herb’s stressed out—give him a vacation or he’s gonna lose it.
* lose [one’s] shirt (colloq.): suffer a big financial loss, lose all that [one] has >He lost his shirt on that deal and had to declare bankruptcy.
LOSER
** loser (sl.): misfit, failed person, person unworthy of respect (cf. “WINNER”) >Why do ya hang around with that loser?
— ...-time loser (sl.): person sentenced to prison ... times >He’s a three-time loser, once for burglary and twice for armed robbery.
LOST
** get lost! (sl.): go away! stop annoying me/us! >He tried to borrow a few bucks from me, but I told him to get lost.
* get lost in the shuffle (colloq.): become lost or ignored (among many), get misplaced (during some process) >She was the ninth of eleven kids and kind of got lost in the shuffle. >I don’t know what happened. I guess your job application got lost in the shuffle.
LOT
** a lot (of ...) (colloq.): much (...), many (...) >We have a lot to do today. >She likes him a lot. >He’s a big shot with a lot of influential friends.
** (a) lot of [s/thing] (...)! (colloq., sarc.): no [s/thing] at all (...)! >That dummy was sure a lot of help! >Lot of good it did to study! I failed the test anyway.
LOTS
** lots (of ...) (colloq.): much (...), many (...) >No hurry—we got lots of time. >I’ll give you a spider plant. I got lots.
LOUD
* loud and clear (colloq.): with absolute clarity, with no chance of misunderstanding, with emphasis (also adj.) >Yes, sir! I read you loud and clear. >Tell him loud and clear to get the hell out of there! >His warning was loud and clear.
LOUDMOUTH
* loudmouth (colloq.): overly talkative or indiscreet person, person who comments on everything as if he/she were an authority (also voc.) >We’re sick and tired of listening to that loudmouth. >Shut up, loudmouth!
LOUDMOUTHED
* loudmouthed (colloq.): overly talkative, indiscreet, obnoxiously loud or boastful >No one can stand that loudmouthed jerk.
LOUNGE LIZARD
— lounge lizard (sl.): flashy man who frequents bars in search of women >Is she really gonna go out with that slimy lounge lizard?
LOUSE
— louse (sl.): reprehensible or untrustworthy person, contemptible person >That louse left his wife for a younger woman.
* louse up (vi, vt) (sl.): ruin or spoil (s/thing), botch (s/thing) >If anyone louses up, the whole deal will go down the drain. >If Bruce forgets his lines, he’ll louse up the whole show.
LOUSY
** lousy (lou´zē) (colloq.): bad, inferior, incompetent, unpleasant, contemptible >Turn off that lousy music, will you? >That lousy doctor you recommended made me worse. >Her lousy cousin put her up to it.
— lousy with (sl.): having an abundance of, well supplied with >We don’t need another lawyer here—this town’s already lousy with ‘em.
LOVE HANDLES
* love handles (colloq.): bulges of flesh above the hips >Look at those love handles! You’d better go on a diet.
LOVER-BOY
— lover-boy (sl., freq. sarc.): male lover, boyfriend (also voc.) >I saw her with her lover-boy last night. >Hey, lover-boy, who’re the flowers for?
LOVEY-DOVEY
— lovey-dovey (luv´ē duv´ē) (colloq., freq. sarc.): amorous, affectionate (esp. in an overly sentimental way) >They always act real lovey-dovey after they make up.
LOW
— lay/lie low (see LAY)
— low/bottom man on the totem pole (colloq.): person with least seniority or rank (in a hierarchy) >What can I do about it? I’m low man on the totem pole around here.
LOW BLOW
* low blow (colloq.): unfair attack or action (against s/one) >He didn’t have to bring up her alcoholic father—that was a low blow.
LOW-CAL
** low-cal (lō´kal´/lō´kal´) (colloq.): low-calorie, having a reduced number of calories >I don’t use sugar, just low-cal sweetener.
LOWDOWN
* lowdown (colloq.): contemptible, mean, despicable >Of all the dirty, lowdown tricks! >I’ll get that lowdown bastard some day.
* the lowdown (sl.): the pertinent information, the news (esp. when confidential or little known) >What’s the lowdown on the guy the cops arrested?
LOWER
— higher up/lower down (on) the food chain (see FOOD CHAIN)
— lower the boom (on) (colloq.): take punitive measures (against), become very strict (with) >If the loggers keep ignoring the regulations, the Forest Service is going to lower the boom. >Wanda’s dad lowered the boom on her after he saw her lousy report card.
LOWLIFE
* lowlife (colloq.): person of low morals or contemptible habits (also adj.) >Nothing but a bunch of lowlifes hang around that pool hall. >I hate him and his lowlife buddies.
LOWRIDER
— lowrider (colloq.): person who drives or rides in a customized automobile that rides close to the ground (esp. a young Mexican-American) >The lowriders always cruise the boulevard on Saturday nights.
LUBE
* lube (lūb) (vt) (colloq.): lubricate (esp. a vehicle’s suspension system) >Why don’t you lube it while you’re changing the oil?
** lube (job) (colloq.): lubrication (esp. of a vehicle’s suspension system) >This car needs a lube job. >What do you charge for a lube and oil change?
LUBRICATED
— lubricated (sl.): drunk, intoxicated >They came home from the party pretty lubricated.
LUCK
— luck into (colloq.): acquire or gain by good luck >He really lucked into a neat job by meeting the right person at the right time.
** luck out (vi) (colloq.): have an instance of very good luck >He lucked out and wasn’t caught this time.
— push [one’s] luck (see PUSH)
— shit out of luck (see SHIT)
LUCKY
— thank [one’s] lucky stars (see THANK)
LUDE
— lude (lūd) (sl.): Quaalude, methaqualone (sedative) pill >He took a couple of ludes and hit the sack.
LUG
— lug (sl.): awkward or dull man, unsophisticated man >Who’s that big lug who’s starin’ at everything?
LULU
— lulu (lū´lū´) (sl.): extraordinary or outstanding thing or person >Go on that ride—it’s a lulu!
LUMMOX
— lummox (lum´әks) (colloq.): awkward and stupid man >That lummox is getting in everybody’s way.
LUMP
— lump (vt) (colloq.): endure, become resigned to, accept (when forced to) >You expect me to just lump his snide remarks? >Dave can’t do anything about it—he’ll just have to lump it.
— like it or lump it (see LIKE)
LUMPS
— take [one’s] lumps (colloq.): endure inevitable criticism, accept punishment or setbacks >You got to learn to take your lumps in this job. >Herb can take his lumps for the nasty things he said.
LUNCH
— eat [s/one’s] lunch (see EAT)
— out to lunch (see OUT)
— toss [one’s] lunch (see TOSS)
LUNKHEAD
— lunkhead (lungk´hed´) (colloq.): stupid or inept person, fool >That lunkhead’s sure to screw it up.
LUNY
— luny (see “LOONY”)
LUNY BIN
— luny bin (see “LOONY BIN”)
LUNY-TUNE
— luny-tune (see “LOONY-TUNE”)
LUSH
* lush (lush) (sl.): drunkard, alcoholic >Watch how much the old lady drinks—she’s a lush.
LYING
* take [s/thing] lying down (colloq.): suffer [s/thing] without reacting, accept [s/thing] without defending (oneself) (freq. used in the neg.) >We can’t take management’s abuse lying down. Let’s strike!