Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
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[love-in]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A festival or occasion to celebrate life, human sensuality, the beauty of nature, human sexuality, and universal love; affairs so conceived by some frequently deteriorate into obscenity and drug using sessions in parody of their stated purpose. •/The hippies gathered for a big love-in in the Halght-Ashbury district of San Francisco./
[lovers' lane]{n.} A hidden road or walk where lovers walk or park in the evening. •/A parked car in a lonely lovers' lane often is a chance for holdup men./
[low] See: LAY LOW, LIE LOW.
[lowbrow]{n.} A person of limited culture; a nonintellectual. •/Some people claim that only lowbrows read the comics./ Contrast: HIGH BROW.
[lowdown]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} The inside facts of a matter; the total truth. •/Nixon never gave the American people the lowdown on Watergate./
[lower the boom]{v. phr.}, {informal} To punish strictly; check or stop fully. •/The mayor lowered the boom on outside jobs for city firemen./ •/Father lowered the boom on the girls for staying out after midnight./ Syn.: CRACK DOWN. •/The police lowered the boom on open gambling./
[low-key]{adj.} Relaxed and easygoing. •/Surprisingly, dinner with the governor was a low-key affair./
[low season] Contrast: HIGH SEASON.
[luck] See: DOWN ON ONE’S LUCK, LUCK OUT, PRESS ONE’S LUCK or PUSH ONE’S LUCK, IN LUCK, OUT OF LUCK.
[luck out]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Suddenly to get lucky when in fact the odds are against one’s succeeding. •/I was sure I was going to miss the train as I was three minutes late, but I lucked out, the train was five minutes late./ 2. To be extraordinarily fortunate. •/Catwallender really lucked out at Las Vegas last month; he came home with $10,000 in cash./ 3. (By sarcastic opposition) to be extremely unfortunate; to be killed. •/Those poor marines sure lucked out in Saigon, didn’t they?/
[lucky] See: THANK ONE’S LUCKY STARS.
[lucky star]{n.} A certain star or planet which, by itself or with others, is seriously or jokingly thought to bring a person good luck and success in life. •/John was born under a lucky star./ •/Ted was unhurt in the car accident, for which he thanked his lucky stars./
[lump in one’s throat]{n. phr.} A feeling (as of grief or pride) so strong that you almost sob. •/John’s mother had a lump in her throat at his college graduation./ •/All during her husband’s funeral, Aunt May had a lump in her throat./ •/The bride’s mother had a lump in her throat./
[lump sum]{n.} The complete amount; a total agreed upon and to be paid at one time. •/The case was settled out of court with the plaintiff receiving a lump sum of half a million dollars for damages./
[lunar module (L.M.)] or [Lem]{n.}, {Space English} That portion of the rocket assemblage on a flight to the Moon in which the astronauts descend to the Moon’s surface. •/Building the L.M. was one of the most expensive parts of the American space program./
[lung] See: AT THE TOP OF ONE’S VOICE or AT THE TOP OP ONE’S LUNGS.
[lurch] See: LEAVE IN THE LURCH.
[lust for]{v. phr.} To physically yearn for; hanker after; want something very strongly. •/Ed has been lusting after Meg for a very long time./
[luxury] See: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY.
M
[mackerel] See: HOLY CATS or HOLY MACKEREL.
[mad about]{adj. phr.} 1. Angry about. •/What is Harriet so mad about?/ 2. Enthusiastic about. •/Dan is mad about pop music./
[mad as a hatter] or [mad as a March hare]{adj. phr.} Not able to think right; crazy. •/Anyone who thinks the moon is made of green cheese is mad as a hatter./
[mad as a hornet] or [mad as hops] or [mad as a wet hen]{adj. phr.}, {informal} In a fighting mood; very angry. •/When my father sees the dent in his fender, he’ll be mad as a hornet./ •/Bill was mad as hops when the fellows went on without him./ •/Mrs. Harris was mad as a wet hen when the rabbits ate her tulips./
[mad as a March hare] See: MAD AS A HATTER.
[mad as hops] See: MAD AS A HORNET.
[made of money]{adj. phr.} Very rich; wealthy. •/Mr. Jones buys his children everything they want. He must be made of money./ Compare: MONEY TO BURN.
[made-to-measure] or [tailor-made]{adj.} Made to fit a special set of measurements or needs. •/John has a new made-to-measure suit./ •/The club is tailor-made for Jane./ Syn.: MADE TO ORDER.
[made to order]{adj. phr.} 1. Made specially in the way the buyer wants instead of all the same in large amounts; made especially for the buyer. •/Mr. Black’s clothes were all made to order./ Compare: MADE-TO-MEASURE. 2. Just right. •/The weather was made to order for the hike./
[made up out of whole cloth] See: OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.
[magic carpet]{n.} 1. A rug said to be able to transport a person through the air to any place he wishes. •/The caliph of Baghdad flew on his magic carpet to Arabia./ 2. Any form of transportation that is comfortable and easy enough to seem magical. •/Flying the Concord from Dallas to London seemed like boarding the magic carpet./ •/Mr. Smith’s new car drove so smoothly it seemed like a magic carpet./