Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[leave out] <v. phr.> To skip; omit. * /The printer accidentally left out two paragraphs from Alan's novel./
[leave out in the cold] See: OUT IN THE COLD.
[leave out of account] <v. phr.> To fail to consider; forget about. * /The picnic planners left out of account that it might rain./ Contrast: TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
[leave-taking] See: TAKE ONE'S LEAVE.
[leave the matter open] See: LEAVE OPEN.
[leave well enough alone] See: LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE.
[leave without a leg to stand on] See: LEG TO STAND ON.
[leave word with] <v. phr.> To leave a message. * /Hank left word with his secretary where he could be reached by phone while he was away from his office./
[left] See: OUT IN LEFT FIELD, RIGHT AND LEFT.
[left field] <n.> 1. The part of a baseball out-field to the batter's left. * /Right-handed batters usually hit to left field./ Compare: CENTER FIELD, RIGHT FIELD. 2. See: OUT IN LEFT FIELD.
– [left fielder] <n.> The player in baseball who plays in left field. * /The scoreboard in the ball park is on the fence behind the left fielder./
[left-handed] <adj.>, <informal> 1. Using the left hand habitually. 2. Crooked; phoney; homosexual. * /Morris is such a left-handed guy./ 3. Clumsy; untoward; awkward. * /Grab that hammer and stop acting so left-handed./
[left-handed compliment] An ambiguous compliment which is interpretable as an offense. * /I didn't know you could look so pretty! Is that a wig you're wearing?/
[left-wing] <adj.> That which is or belongs to a group of people in politics that favors radical change in the direction of socialism or communism. * /The left-wing faction called for an immediate strike./
[leg] See: ON ONE'S LAST LEGS, PULL ONE'S LEG, SHAKE A LEG, TAIL BETWEEN ONE'S LEGS.
[legal age] or [lawful age] The age at which a person is allowed to do a certain thing or is held responsible for an action. * /In most states the legal age for voting is 27./ * /He could not get a driver's license because he was not of lawful age./
[leg man] <n.>, <informal> 1. An errand boy; one who performs messenger services, or the like. * /Joe hired a leg man for the office./ 2. <slang>, <semi-vulgar>, <avoidable> A man who is particularly attracted to good looking female legs and pays less attention to other parts of the female anatomy. * /Herb is a leg man./
[leg-pulling] See: PULL ONE'S LEG.
[Legree] See: SIMON LEGREE.
[leg to stand on] <n. phr.> A firm foundation of facts; facts to support your claim.
– Usually used in the negative. * /Jerry's answering speech left his opponent without a leg to stand on./ * /Amos sued for damages, but did not have a leg to stand on./
[leg work] <n.>, <informal> The physical end of a project, such as the typing of research reports; the physical investigating of a criminal affair; the carrying of books to and from libraries; etc. * /Joe, my research assistant, does a lot of leg work for me./
[leisure] See: AT LEISURE or AT ONE'S LEISURE.
[lend a hand] or [give a hand] also [bear a hand] <v. phr.> To give help; make yourself useful; help. * /The stage manager asked some of the boys to lend a hand with the scenery./ * /Dick saw a woman with a flat tire and offered to give her a hand with it./ Compare: LIFT A FINGER.
[lend an ear to] See: GIVE AN EAR TO.
[lend color to] See: GIVE COLOR TO.
[lend itself to] <v. phr.> To give a chance for or be useful for; to be possible or right for. * /Bob was sick and did not go to Jane's party, but his absence lent itself to misunderstanding./ * /The teacher's paperweight was a heavy piece of metal which sometimes lent itself to use as a hammer./ * /This poem lends itself to our program very well./ Compare: LEND ONESELF TO.
[lend oneself to] <v. phr.> To give help or approval to; encourage; assist. * /Alice wouldn't lend herself to the plot to hide the teacher's chalk./
[length] See: AT LENGTH, GO TO ANY LENGTH, KEEP AT A DISTANCE or KEEP AT ARM'S LENGTH.
[less] See: MORE OR LESS, MUCH LESS.
[lesson] See: TEACH A LESSON.
[less than] <adv.> Not; little. * /We were busy and less than delighted to have company that day./ * /The boys were less than happy about having a party./ Contrast: MORE THAN.
[less than no time] <n. phr.>, <informal> Very quickly. * /We can be ready to go in less than no time./ * /It took Sally less than no time to get dinner ready./
[let] See: LIVE AND LET LIVE.
[let alone] <conj. phr.> 1. Even less; certainly not.
– Used after a negative clause. * /I can't add two and two, let alone do fractions./ * /Jim can't drive a car, let alone a truck./ Compare: MUCH LESS, NOT TO MENTION. 2. [let alone] or [leave alone] <v.> To stay away from; keep hands off; avoid. * /When Joel gets mad, just let him alone./ * /Little Patsy was warned to leave the birthday cake alone./ Compare: LET BE.
[let be] <v.> To pay no attention to; disregard; forget. * /Let her be; she has a headache./ Compare: LET ALONE.
[let bygones be bygones] <v. phr.> To let the past be forgotten. * /After a long, angry quarrel the two boys agreed to let bygones be bygones and made friends again./ * /We should let bygones be bygones and try to get along with each other./ Syn.: FORGIVE AND FORGET. Compare: BURY THE HATCHET, LIVE AND LET LIVE.
[letdown] <n.> A disappointment; a heartbreak. * /It was a major letdown for John when Mary refused to marry him./
[let down] <v. phr.> 1. To allow to descend; lower. * /Harry let the chain saw down on a rope and then climbed down himself./ 2. To relax; stop trying so hard; take it easy. * /The horse let down near the end of the race and lost./ * /The team let down in the fourth quarter because they were far ahead./ Compare: LET GO. 3. To fail to do as well as (someone) expected; disappoint. * /The team felt they had let the coach down./
[let down easy] <v. phr.> To refuse or say no to (someone) in a pleasant manner; to tell bad news about a refusal or disappointment in a kindly way. * /The teacher had to tell George that he had failed his college examinations, but she tried to let him down easy./ * /The boss tried to let Jim down easy when he had to tell him he was too young for the job./