Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[look out for] <v. phr.> To watch out for; be on the alert. * /There were signs along the highway warning drivers to look out for deer crossing./

[look over] <v.> To look at and try to learn something about; look at every part or piece of or at every one of; examine; inspect; study. * /I looked hurriedly over the apples in the basket and took one that looked good./ * /Mrs. Jones spent the evening looking over the month's bills and writing checks./ * /When a new boy comes to school, the others usually look him over rather carefully./ * /We looked over several kinds of new cars before deciding./ Compare: ONCE-OVER, SIZE UP.

[look sharp] <v.> To be alert; be very attentive; keep a close watch. * /It pays to look sharp in traffic./ * /The guide told us to look sharp because there were rattlesnakes around./

[look small] See: FEEL SMALL.

[look to] <v.> 1. To attend to; get ready for; take care of. * /Plans had been prepared that looked to every possibility./ * /The president assigned a man to look to our needs./ 2. To go for help to; depend on. * /The child looks to his mother to cure his hurts./ 3. See: SEE TO.

[look to one's laurels] To make sure that your reputation is not spoiled; protect your good name; keep your record from being beaten by others. * /Tom won the broad jump, but he had to look to his laurels./ * /Look to your laurels, Joan. Betty says she is going to run against you for head cheerleader./

[look up] <v.> 1. <informal> To improve in future chances; promise more success. * /The first year was tough, but business looked up after that./ 2. To search for; hunt for information about; find. * /It is a good habit to look up new words in a dictionary./ 3. To seek and find. * /While he was in Chicago, Henry looked up a friend of college days./

[look upon] See: LOOK ON(1).

[look up to] <v.> To think of (someone) as a good example to copy; honor; respect. * /Mr. Smith had taught for many years, and all the students looked up to him./ * /Young children look up to older ones, so older children should be good examples./

[loop] See: KNOCK FOR A LOOP or THROW FOR A LOOP.

[loose] See: AT LOOSE ENDS, CAST OFF or CAST LOOSE, CUT LOOSE, FAST AND LOOSE, HAVE A SCREW LOOSE, LET LOOSE or SET LOOSE or TURN LOOSE, ON THE LOOSE.

[loose ends] <n.> 1. Parts or things that should be finished or put together. * /Mary's composition had many loose ends./ * /When George came home after a long trip, he started picking up the loose ends./ 2. See: AT LOOSE ENDS.

[lord it over] <v. phr.> To act as the superior and master of; dominate; be bossy over; control. * /John learned early to lord it over other children./ * /The office manager lorded it over the clerks and typists./

[Lord knows] See: GOD KNOWS.

[lose] See: HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE.

[lose face] <v.> To be embarrassed or shamed by an error or failure; lose dignity, influence or reputation; lose self-respect or the confidence of others. * /Many Japanese soldiers were killed in World War II because they believed that to give up or retreat would make them lose face./ * /John's careless work made him lose face with his employer./ * /The banker lost face when people found out he bet on horse races./

[lose ground] 1. To go backward; retreat. * /The soldiers began to lose ground when their leader was killed./ Compare: GIVE GROUND. 2. To become weaker; get worse; not improve. * /The sick man began to lose ground when his cough grew worse./ * /When the Democrats are in power, the Republicans lose ground./ Contrast: GAIN GROUND.

[lose heart] <v. phr.> To feel discouraged because of failure; to lose hope of success. * /The team had won no games and it lost heart./ Contrast: TAKE HEART.

[lose one's balance] Contrast: KEEP ONE'S BALANCE.

[lose oneself] <v. phr.> 1. To go wrong; miss your way; become unable to find the right direction. * /Fred lost himself in the confusion of downtown Boston streets./ 2. To conceal yourself; hide. * /The pick-pocket lost himself in the crowd and escaped the police./ 3. To become deeply interested and forget yourself; become absorbed. * /Sometimes Harry would lose himself in a book for an afternoon at a time./ Compare: IN A WORLD OF ONE'S OWN.

[lose one's grip] <v. phr.> To fail in control or command; lose your strength, force, or ability to lead. * /Mr. Jones began to lose his grip: he no longer wanted the hard jobs, and he left decisions to others./ * /When a locomotive engineer loses his grip, he is no longer trusted with express runs./

[lose one's head (over)] <v. phr.> 1. To panic. * /"Let's not lose our heads," the captain cried. "We have good lifeboats on this vessel."/ 2. To become deeply infatuated with someone. * /Don't lose your head over Jane; she is already married./ Contrast: KEEP ONE'S HEAD.

[lose one's heart] <v. phr.> To fall in love; begin to love. * /She lost her heart to the soldier with the broad shoulders and the deep voice./ * /Bill lost his heart to the puppy the first time he saw it./

[lose one's marbles] <v. phr.> To go mad; become crazed. * /Stan must have lost his marbles; he is hopelessly pursuing a happily married woman./

[lose one's shirt] <v. phr.>, <slang> To lose all or most of your money. * /Uncle Joe spent his life savings to buy a store, but it failed, and he lost his shirt./ * /Mr. Matthews lost his shirt betting on the horses./

[lose one's temper] <v. phr.> To lose control over one's anger; to get angry. * /He lost his temper when he broke the key in the lock./ Compare: BLOW A FUSE, FLY OFF THE HANDLE. Contrast: HOLD ONE'S TEMPER.

[lose one's tongue] <v. phr.>, informal To be so embarrassed or surprised that you cannot talk. * /The man would always lose his tongue when he was introduced to new people./ Compare: CAT GET ONE'S TONGUE.

[lose out] <v.> To fail to win; miss first place in a contest; lose to a rival. * /John lost out in the rivalry for Mary's hand in marriage./ * /Fred didn't want to lose out to the other salesman./ Compare: MISS OUT. Contrast: WIN OUT.

[loser] See: FINDERS KEEPERS or FINDERS KEEPERS LOSERS WEEPERS.

[lose sight of] <v. phr.> 1. Not to be able to see any longer. * /I lost sight of Mary in the crowd./ * /I watched the plane go higher and higher until I lost sight of it./ Contrast: CATCH SIGHT OF. 2. To forget; overlook. * /Johnny was so interested in the game he lost sight of the time./ * /No matter how rich and famous he became, he never lost sight of the fact that he had been born in the slums./

[lose touch] <v. phr.>, <informal> To fail to keep in contact or communication.
– Usually used with "with". * /After she moved to another town, she lost touch with her childhood friends./ Compare: OUT OF TOUCH.