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Popular Idioms and Usages Part L

By VJ
Charles DickensCharles Dickens

This post is a tribute to Charles Dickens, the greatest novelist in English who died this day in 1870, aged 58. I had a previous post (hyperlinked) about Dickens. Please read it.

Please read the previous versions of this series until Popular Idioms Part K to know more. Here goes the L list.

La dolce vita: Italian meaning great life full of pleasure.

Lager frenzy: Excitement from alcoholic drinks.

Lady’s man: A man found usually in company of women.

Laid out in lavender: Show in the brightest light.

Lame duck: One who cannot survive without help from others.

Lark about: Be the fool.

Last but not the least: To indicate the person or thing mentioned last is not insignificant.

Last ditch effort: The final attempt before giving up.

Laugh like a drain: Laugh loudly.

Laugh up one’s sleeve: Laugh secretly.

Laughing stork: Anything derisive. It comes to existence from
Shakespeare play, Merry Wives of Windsor.

Lay a finger on: To touch.

Lay hands on: Attack.

Lay it on with a trowel: To praise something or someone overly.

Lay to rest: Bury or cremate.

Lead a dog’s life: Lead a very unimpressive life.

Lead someone by the nose: Make someone obey something by humiliation.

Leap in the dark: Do something irrationally without care for the consequences.

Learn the ropes: Learn anything new.

Leave no stone unturned: Do everything possible.

Leave someone to his / her own devices: Allow someone to do what he/she likes.

Left-handed compliment: Compliment with some hidden bad meaning.

Left in the lurch: Left in a peculiar situation without help.

Let a thousand flowers bloom: Promote many thoughts from many sources.

Let sleeping dogs lie: Avoid all avoidable troubles.

Let the cat out of the bag: Asking to disclose a secret.

Let your hair down: Behave freely and uninhibitedly.

Level playing field: Ethical competition, in which no one is given an upper hand.

A lick and a promise: A superficial effort.

Lick into shape: To get something to work properly.

Lick someone’s boots: Be servile to someone for some favor.

Lie low: Keep someone out of sight.

Life of Riley: Pleasant and easygoing life.

Like the chicken with head cut off: In a frenzied way.

Like a moth to flame: Attracted irresistibly to something.

Lion’s share: The bigger portion.

Lip service: Insincere respect.

Lips are sealed: Means that one cannot reveal something.

Living on borrowed time: Living after your expected time of death.

Load of codswallop: Rubbish.

Loaf of bread: Head (Cockney Rhyming slang)

Lock stock and barrel: The whole of something.

Look a gift horse in the mouth: Criticize a gift.

With a loose tongue: In the habit of using bad language.

Loose cannon: Unpredictability.

Loose lips sink ships: Careless speech may give you out to enemies.

Lord Fred: Bed (Cockney Rhyming)

Lose your rag: Lose your temper.

Watch out for the next list of idioms and please don’t forget to read the previous posts.

History Today

Charles Dickens died in 1870, aged 58. He is regarded as the greatest novelist ever in English.

Patricia Cornwell, best-selling American mystery writer, was born in 1956. Happy Birthday, Patricia!

Happy Birthday Patricia CornwellPatricia Cornwell

Copyright © Lenin Nair 2008

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