Saturday, May 17, 2014

Learn English Idioms ( List 'L' )

lame duck
Someone or something that is disabled, helpless, ineffective, or inefficient.
What do you expect from a lame-duck mayor? 


larger than life
Very imposing, renowned, or impressively influential.
He is such a special man; somewhat larger than life.  



laugh up your sleeve
to be secretly amused.
They're very polite in your presence, but you get the feeling they're laughing up their sleeves. 



lay down the law
tell people what they should do in a forceful and stern way.
Please don't lay down the law; we know what we have to do. 



learn by heart
(also learn by heart) to memorize something.
She learned the poem by heart. 



let sleeping dogs lie
to leave things as they are to avoid trouble.
It would be best to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss the problem any further. 



let the cat out of the bag
to reveal a secret, usually accidentally.
She wasn't supposed to know about it. Someone must have let the cat out of the bag. 



licence to print money
if a company or activity is a licence to print money, it generates a lot of money without much effort.
Advertizing companies are just a licence to print money. 



like mother, like daughter
This is a proverb which means that daughters resemble their mothers.
Like mother, like daughter. Liza's mother is mad about chocolate, too. 



like water off a duck's back
Said about a criticism that has no effect on you.
He has always been criticised for being lazy. But this was just like water off the duck's back to him. 



lion's share
the majority; a large or generous portion.
The gang stole a lot of money from the bank. But the lion's share of the money went straight into the leader pocket. 



lock horns
to come into conflict.
I don't want to lock horns with you. Let's settle this peacefully. 



long in the tooth
very old.
I think he is a bit long in the tooth to be a romantic hero in that play. 



look like mutton dressed as lamb
Said about a woman who tries to look much younger.
Her skirt is too short. She looks like mutton dressed as lamb. 



lose your shirt
to lose all your money as a result of gambling or bad investment.
He lost his shirt yeterday in the casino. 



love at first sight
an instantaneous attraction
It was love at first sight when we met. 



love is bind
A person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person who is loved.
A: I can't see why Leila likes Tim. He isn't even good-looking.
B: Love is blind. 



love nest
a place where a couple can enjoy each other's company.
They rent an apartment which has become their love nest. 



love somebody to death
To love somebody very much.
He loves her to death. 



love-hate relationship
an interpersonal relationship involving simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and hate.
He has a love-hate relationship with his mother. 



lovely weather for ducks
Rainy weather.
A: What's the weather like there?
B: It's a lovely weather for ducks. 



low man on the totem pole
The least important man in a hierarchy or organization. (Opposite: high man on the totem pole)
He's not the man to talk to. He's just the low man on the totem pole. 



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View the original article here                
  
See also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom
http://www.idiomsite.com  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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