Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[live in an ivory tower] <v. phr.> To be blind to real life; live an unrealistically sheltered existence. * /Professor Nebelmacher has no idea of the cost of living; he lives in an ivory tower./

[live in the fast lane] <v. phr.>, <informal> To live a full and very active life pursuing wealth and success. * /They have been living in the fast lane ever since they arrived in New York City./

[live it up] <v. phr.>, <informal> To pursue pleasure; enjoy games or night life very much; have fun at places of entertainment. * /Joe had had a hard winter in lonesome places; now he was in town living it up./ * /The western cowboys usually went to town on Saturdays to live it up./

[live off someone] <v. phr.> To be supported by someone. * /Although Eric is already 40 years old, he has no job and continues to live off his elderly parents./

[live off the fat of the land] See: FAT OF THE LAND.

[live on borrowed time] <v. phr.> To live or last longer than was expected. * /Ever since his operation, Harvey felt he was living on borrowed time./ * /Mr. Brown was living on borrowed time because a year ago the doctors had told him he would only live six months./

[live out] <v.> 1. To finish (a period of time); spend. * /Smith lived out the year in the North as he had agreed, but then moved to the South again./ * /After retiring, John and his wife lived out their lives in Florida./ 2. To last through; endure to the end of. * /We lived out the winter on short ration./ * /He lived out the earthquake, but his house was destroyed./

[live out of a suitcase] <v. phr.> To have no permanent residence or a permanent place to hang one's clothes. * /When Jennifer accepted her new job, she had no idea that she would have to live out of a suitcase for six months./

[live up to] <v.> To act according to; come up to; agree with; follow. * /So far as he could, John had always tried to live up to the example he saw in Lincoln./ * /Bob was a man who lived up to his promises./ * /The new house didn't live up to expectations./

[live wire] <n. phr.> 1. An electrically charged wire, usually uninsulated. * /The electrician was severely burned by the live wire./ 2. An alert or energetic person. * /To sell the new merchandise, our company needs several salespeople who are live wires./

[living daylights] See: BEAT THE --- OUT OF, KNOCK THE --- OUT OF.

[living end] <adj.>, <slang> Great; fantastic; the ultimate. * /That show we saw last night was the living end./

[load] See: GET A LOAD OF.

[loaded for bear] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Ready for action; prepared and eager. * /Frank liked the new merchandise and as he set out on his rounds as a salesman, he felt really loaded for bear./ * /The football team arrived Friday noon, loaded for bear./

[load the bases] or [fill the bases] <v. phr.> To get men on all three bases in baseball. * /The Mets loaded the bases with two singles and a base on balls./ * /Don hit a home run with the bases loaded./

[loaf] See: HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE or HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NO BREAD.

[loan shark] <n. phr.> A money lender who charges excessive interest. * /Why go to a loan shark when you can borrow from the bank at the legal rate?/

[local yokel] <n.>, <slang>, <citizen's hand radio jargon> City police officer, as opposed to state police or highway patrol. * /There's a local yokel westbound on the move./

[lock] See: SCALP LOCK.

[lock, stock, and barrel] <n. phr.> Everything; completely. * /The robbers emptied the whole house - lock, stock, and barrel./ Compare: HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER.

[lock the barn door after the horse is stolen] To be careful or try to make something safe when it is too late.
– A proverb. * /After Mary failed the examination, she said she would study hard after that. She wanted to lock the barn door after the horse was stolen./

[lock up] <v. phr.>, <slang> To be assured of success. * /How did your math test go?
– I locked it up, I think./

[lodge a complaint] <v. phr.> To make a complaint; complain. * /If our neighbors don't stop this constant noise, I will have to lodge a complaint with the management./

[loggerhead] See: AT LOGGERHEADS.

[loin] See: GIRD UP ONE'S LOINS.

[lone wolf] <n.> A man who likes to work or live alone. * /The man who paints a picture or establishes a business is often a lone wolf; so is the criminal outlaw./ * /Jones is a good pitcher, but he is a lone wolf./

[long] See: AT LAST or AT LONG LAST, BEFORE LONG, COME A LONG WAY, IN THE LONG RUN, NO LONGER, SO LONG, THE LONG AND THE SHORT.

[long and short of it] <n. phr.> The essence; the whole story in a nutshell. * /The long and short of it is that he is lazy and doesn't really want to find a job./

[long ball] <n.> A baseball hit far enough to be a home run. * /The White Sox need a player who can hit the long ball./

[long face] <n.> A sad look; disappointed look. * /He told the story with a long face./ - Often used in the phrase "pull a long face". * /Don't pull a long face when I tell you to go to bed./

[longhair(1)] 1. <n.>, <slang> A male hippie. * /Who's that longhair?
– It's Joe./ 2. An intellectual who prefers classical music to jazz or acid rock. * /Catwallender is a regular longhair; he never listens to modern jazz./

[longhair(2)] <adj.>, <slang> Pertaining to classical art forms, primarily in dancing and music. * /Cut out that longhair Mozart Symphony and put on a decent pop record!/

[long haul] or [long pull] <n.>, <informal> 1. A long distance or trip. * /It is a long haul to drive across the country./ Contrast SHORT HAUL. 2. A long length of time during which work continues or something is done; a long time of trying. * /A boy crippled by polio may learn to walk again, but it may be a long haul./ - Often used in the phrase "over the long haul". * /Over the long haul, an expensive pair of shoes may save you money./ Contrast: SHORT HAUL.

[long pull] See: LONG HAUL.

[long shot] <n.> 1. A bet or other risk taken though not likely to succeed. * /The horse was a long shot, but it came in and paid well./ * /Jones was a long shot for mayor./ * /The business long shot that succeeds often pays extremely well./ 2. See: BY A LONG SHOT.

[long-winded] <adj.> Tedious; overlong; given to too much talking. * /Everyone was bored by the old man's long-winded stories./

[look] See: DIRTY LOOK.

[look after] also [see after] <v.> To watch over; attend to. * /John's mother told him to look after his younger brother./ * /When he went to Europe, Mr. Jenkins left his son to see after the business./ Syn.: TAKE CARE OF(1). Compare: LOOK OUT(3).