idiot box
- television set
My friend sits in front of the idiot box all day and never gets any work done.


if looks could kill
- used when someone makes an unfriendly look or frowns at someone
If looks could kill then the horrible way that the woman looked at me would have killed me instantly.


if so
- if that is the case
The lawyer said that he wants to meet us this afternoon but if so then we will not have any documents ready to discuss.


if the shoe fits, wear it
- if something that is said describes you then it probably is meant for you as well
He was complaining that many workers at his company were lazy. However, his friend looked at him and said that if the shoe fits, wear it.


if worst comes to worst
- if the worst possible thing happens
If worst comes to worst we can cancel our holiday and go next year.


ill at ease
- nervous/uncomfortable
He appeared to be ill at ease during the interview.


ill-disposed to (do something)
- not friendly or favorable to something
Our company is ill-disposed to begin working on the project with the other company.


ill-gotten gains
- money or other goods acquired illegally or dishonestly
The man used his ill-gotten gains from the sale of the stolen car to go on a holiday.


ill will
- hostile feelings or intentions
There is much ill will between the two departments in our company.


implicate (someone) in (something)
- suggest that someone is involved in something
The man was implicated in the scheme to sell the illegal shares in the company.



in a bad mood
- sad, depressed
I was in a bad mood after I wrote the university exam.


in a bad way
- in a bad or critical state
The woman is in a bad way after her recent car accident.


in a bind
- in trouble
They will really be in a bind if they can`t sell their house by next month.


in a coon's age
- in a very long time
I have not seen my friend in a coon's age.


in a family way
- pregnant, going to have a baby
Our new secretary is in a family way and plans to take a few months off from work soon.


in a flash
- quickly
I was finished with the job interview in a flash.


in a fog (haze)
- confused, not sure what is happening
He is always in a fog and never seems to know what is going on.


in a fool's paradise
- seem to be happy but in a situation that will not last
The couple were living in a fool's paradise with their temporary jobs and the high salaries.


in a hole
- in some trouble, in an embarrassing or difficult position
He is really in a hole now that he has problems both at work and at home.


in a huff
- in an angry or offended manner
The head of our department left the meeting in a huff.


in a hurry
- moving or acting quickly
He is very busy and always in a hurry.


in a jam
- in trouble, in a difficult situation
He is in a jam now that his car is not working properly.


in a jiffy
- very fast, very soon
I promised that I would be finished with the phone in a jiffy.


in a kind/sort of way
- to a certain extent, a little, somewhat
In a kind of way I want to buy a new car but in other ways I don't think that I really need one.


in a lather
- excited and agitated
My friend was in a lather when she heard that she would be transferring to another department.


in a little bit
- soon
"I will give you back your dictionary in a little bit."


in a mad rush
- in a hurry, frantically
The woman was in a mad rush to finish her shopping and return home.


in a month of Sundays
- in a very long time
I have not been to the shopping mall in a month of Sundays.


in a nutshell
- briefly
I tried to explain the problem to him in a nutshell but there still wasn`t enough time.


in a pickle/in a pretty pickle
- in a mess, in trouble
My friend is in a pickle now that she has lost her job.


in a pig`s eye
- hardly, unlikely, never
In a pig`s eye will I let him borrow my car next weekend.


in a pinch
- okay when nothing else is available
The other tool will do in a pinch if we can`t find the correct one.


in a quandary
- confused and uncertain about what to do
I am in a quandary about where I should go on my vacation next month.


in a rush
- in a hurry
They did the job in a rush so I am a little worried about the quality.


in a rut
- always doing the same thing
She feels that she is in a rut after doing the same job for seven years.


in a sense
- in a way, sort of
In a sense I can understand what my friend's problem is about but still it is difficult to imagine what he wants to say.


in a snit
- in a fit of anger or irritation
My friend was in a snit because I forgot to phone her on Saturday.


in a split second
- in just an instant
The car accident happened in a split second before anyone could do anything to prevent it.


in a spot
- in some trouble, in an embarrassing or difficult position
She is in a spot right now as she was unable to enter university and also has no job.


in a stew (about someone or something)
- upset or bothered about someone or something
The woman's husband is in a stew because he lost his car keys.


in a stupor
- in a dazed condition
I was in a stupor after I wrote my last exam.


in a tizzy
- in an excited and confused condition
The girl was in a tizzy all morning as she got ready for her friend's wedding.


in a way
- to a certain extent, a little, somewhat
In a way I want to go to the restaurant but basically I don`t care.


in a word
- briefly, to sum up
In a word, the problem with the car is that it needs a new motor.


in a world of one`s own
- in deep thought or concentration, not caring about other people
He is always in a world of his own and doesn`t notice what other people say or think.


in abeyance
- the temporary suspension of an activity or a ruling
The final estate settlement was in abeyance while the lawyers looked at the will in more detail.


in accordance with (something)
- in agreement with (something)
In accordance with the wishes of my grandfather we did not sell the family farm.


in addition to (something)
- additionally, further
In addition to a degree in history my friend also has a degree in economics.


in advance
- ahead of time
They bought the tickets in advance so that they could get a good seat.


in agreement
- in harmony, agreeing
All of the members of the team were in agreement regarding the training schedule of the coach.


in all one's born days
- in all one's life
In all my born days I have never met a more stubborn person.


in all probability
- very likely
In all probability I will be unable to attend my classes during the next two weeks.


in and of itself
- considering one thing alone
In and of itself there is no problem having a large number of people at the dinner. However, the fire regulations do not allow so many people to be in the building


in and out
- coming in and going out often
He has been in and out all day but I don`t know where he is at the moment.


in any case/event
- no matter what happens, surely, without fail
I may not be able to meet you next week but in any case I will still give you the books before then.


in arms
- armed, angry and ready to fight
The workers are in arms since they found out about the wage decrease.


in arrears
- overdue (bills or money), late
I have never been in arrears with my bill payments.


in awe of (someone or something)
- fearful and respectful of someone or something
All of the children were in awe of the firemen who came to visit the school.


in bad faith
- with bad or dishonest intent
The man was bargaining in bad faith when he tried to buy the car.


in bad/poor taste
- rude, vulgar
The jokes that the man told at the dinner were in very bad taste.


in between
- located in the middle of two things/states
My friend is in between jobs at the moment.


in black and white
- in writing
I want to get the information in black and white before I go to the meeting.


in bloom/blossom
- a flower/tree at the peak of blooming
All of the flowers are in bloom in our garden now.


in brief
- briefly
I explained in brief what the new supervisor was supposed to do while I was on vacation.


in broad daylight
- publicly visible in the daytime
The robbery of the store took place in broad daylight.


in bulk
- in large quantities or amounts
We usually buy some of our food in bulk.


in cahoots with (someone)
- in secret agreement or partnership with someone
The supermarket was in cahoots with the vegetable producer to try and keep the prices high.


in care of (someone)
- send something to one person at the address of another person
My income tax refund was sent to me in care of my company.


in case
- if, if something should happen
I will take my umbrella in case it rains.


in case of
- in the event of, if there should be, as a precaution
In case of fire we keep our computer backup files in a fireproof safe.


in character
- as usual, typical, in the way that a person usually behaves
Supporting the members of her staff is in character with the way our manager does business.


in charge of (someone or something)
- in control or authority, responsible for someone or something
He is in charge of the sales department at his company.


in check
- under control, kept quiet
The violence was kept in check by the police department and the army.


in clover
- rich or successful, having a pleasant or easy life
They are in clover now that they have sold their business and retired.


in cold blood
- without feeling or pity, cooly and deliberately
The family was murdered in cold blood by the criminal gang.


in common
- shared together or equally, in use or ownership by all
I had nothing in common with the other members of the class.


in concert (with someone)
- with the aide of someone
We made the presentation in concert with members of another company.


in consequence of (something)
- as a result of something
In consequence of my loss of job, I am no longer able to keep living in my present apartment.


in contempt of court
- disrespect for a judge or for courtroom procedures
The woman was in contempt of court when she refused to sit down quietly during the trial.


in custody of (someone or something)
- being looked after by someone or something, under guard by someone
The child was placed in custody of the state while her mother got treatment for her substance abuse problem.


in debt
- owing money
The man has been in debt for most of his life.


in deep
- seriously mixed up in something like debt or trouble
The man is in deep because of debt and other problems.


in deep water
- in a serious situation, in trouble
The boy is in deep water because of his problems at school.


in defiance of (someone or something)
- against someone's will or against instructions
The company continued to operate their business in defiance of a court order.


in denial
- refusing to believe something that is true
The man was in denial about the fact that he may lose his job.


in detail
- giving all the details
I wrote down the series of events in detail.


in disguise
- looking like someone else
The bank robber was in disguise when he robbed the bank.


in drag
- wearing the clothes of the opposite sex
The tourists were shocked when they went to the stage show and found many of the performers in drag.


in due course
- in the usual amount of time, at the right time
We will send the information to you in due course.


in Dutch (with someone)
- in trouble with someone
The boy was in Dutch with his father for breaking the window.


in earnest
- sincerely
The young woman has been looking for a job in earnest since she graduated.


in effect
- for practical purposes, basically
The man's silence was in effect a way of disagreeing with the other people in the meeting.


in effect
- in existence, operating or functioning
The smoking law has been in effect for three years.


in essence
- basically
I was told in essence about the problems that the company was having.


in exchange for (someone or something)
- in return for someone or something
I received the camera in exchange for several discount coupons.


in existence
- now existing
The company has been in existence for many years.


in fact
- actually, the truth is
He`s been to China before. In fact he`s been there three times.


in fashion
- fashionable
Very thin neckties have not been in fashion recently.


in favor of (someone or something)
- approving or supporting someone or something
Most members of the city council were in favor of building the new stadium.


in flight
- while flying
Two wonderful meals were served while we were in flight.


in flux
- in constant change, changing
The school administration has been in flux for several months now.


in for (something)
- unable to avoid something, sure to get something
He is in for a lot of trouble now that he is unable to finish his graduation essay.


in force
- in a very large group
The fans came out in force to cheer for their favorite team.


in full swing
- in progress
The campaign to stop people from smoking is in full swing.


in general
- in most situations or circumstances
In general, most of the people in our apartment are happy with the new manager.


in good conscience
- having good motives
I wrote the letter and complained to the woman in good conscience.


in good faith
- with good and honest intentions
Our company was bargaining in good faith when they met the other company.


in good hands
- in the safe and competent care of someone
My dog was in good hands when I gave him to my father to look after.


in good repair
- in good condition
My car is always in good repair when I go on a holiday.


in good shape/condition
- functioning or working well
Our television set was in good shape when we gave it to my friend.


in good spirits
- happy/cheerful/positive
Everyone was in good spirits when they went to the beach for a picnic.


in good time
- a little early, sooner than necessary
I will try and get the information to you in good time so that you will be able to decide what to do.


in good with (someone)
- in someone's favor
My cousin is in good with his boss and has an easy time at work.


in great demand
- wanted by many people
The young pianist is in great demand by symphony orchestras around the world.


in hand
- under control
The teacher had the class in hand when the principal came to visit the classroom.


in heaven
- in a state of absolute happiness, dead and in heaven
I felt that I was in heaven when I learned that I would get the job that I wanted.


in high gear
- very fast and active
The preparations for the party were in high gear when I arrived at the house.


in hindsight
- thinking about the past with the knowledge one now has
In hindsight, it was easy to determine what I had done wrong in the job interview.


in hock
- in a pawnshop
The man put his expensive stereo in hock to get some money for a holiday.


in honor of (someone or something)
- showing respect or admiration for someone or something
The dinner was in honor of the first principal of our school.


in hopes of (something)
- expecting something
I wrote the entrance exam in hopes of entering my favorite university.


in horror
- with intense shock or disgust
I watched in horror as the cars crashed into the truck that had stopped.


in hot water
- in trouble
I am in hot water over the extra expenses that I used during the conference.


in ink
- written or signed with a pen
We were asked to write down our names and addresses in ink.


in its entirety
- in a state of completeness
I read the novel in its entirety although it was very difficult to read.


in jeopardy
- in danger, at risk
Our contract with the large company was in jeopardy because of our inability to quickly provide them with our products.


in keeping with (something)
- continuing with something, doing something similar
In keeping with our tradition of letting the visiting team kick first we will do it for this game as well.


in kind
- payment for something with some goods rather than money
We will pay them back in kind for the use of their sailboat.


in labor
- a woman going through childbirth
The man's wife was in labor for three hours.


in league with (someone)
- in secret agreement or partnership with someone
The union has been in league with management to try and close the factory.


in less than no time
- very quickly
My friend had to go to the bank but in less than no time he returned to my house.


in lieu of (something)
- in place of something
We received a free movie pass in lieu of a refund of our movie ticket.


in light of (something)
- as a result of new information, because of something
In light of his contribution to the company we decided to give him a large summer bonus.


in limbo
- in an indefinite state, a state of neglect, a region on the border of hell
Everything in the company was in limbo as we waited for news of the takeover bid.


in line
- standing and waiting in a line of people
We stood in line for three hours while waiting for the concert tickets.


in line
- doing or being what people expect or accept, within ordinary limits
It was difficult to keep the children in line at the picnic but somehow we managed.


in love
- liking/loving someone very much
He has been in love with his girlfriend ever since he met her in high school.


in luck
- having good luck, finding something good by chance
I think that we are in luck. I was able to buy two tickets for the concert.


in memory of (someone or something)
- as a reminder of someone or something, as a memorial to someone or something
We decided to collect some money and buy a painting in memory of our grandfather.


in mint condition
- in perfect condition
The old coins that my father gave me were in mint condition.


in name only
- not actual, only by name
The man was an animal doctor in name only and had never once treated a sick or injured animal.


in need
- someone requires basic things like food/clothing/housing
The victims of the hurricane were very much in need after the storm was over.


in need of (someone or something)
- requiring someone or something
We are in need of a new stove in our apartment.


in neutral
- a car's motor is running but the gear is in neutral so the car does not move, something does not move
I put the car in neutral as I waited for the train to pass.


in no mood to (do something)
- not feel like doing something
I was in no mood to argue with my friend this morning.


in no time
- soon, quickly
I will have this done for you in no time and then you can go for lunch.


in no uncertain terms
- in very specific and direct language
I told my neighbor in no uncertain terms that I wanted the music to stop.


in nothing flat
- quickly
I will have this information printed out for you in nothing flat.


in on (something)
- joining together for something
We went in on a present for our father for Father`s Day.


in on (something/a secret)
- told about something, having knowledge of something
I was finally in on the secret about why the supervisor left our company.


in one ear and out the other
- be heard and then immediately forgotten
Everything that the teacher says seems to go in one ear and out the other for my friend.


in one fell swoop
- as a single incident or event
In one fell swoop we sold our car, furniture and apartment and moved to Germany.


in one's birthday suit
- naked, nude
The little boy was running around in his birthday suit after his bath.


in one's blood
- built into one's personality or character
Riding a horse is in the girl's blood and she is an expert at it.


in one's book
- according to one's own opinion
In my book she is the best teacher that we have ever had.


in one's cups
- drunk
I think that my grandfather was in his cups when he wrote the letter to his friend.


in one`s element
- in an environment or situation that comes naturally to someone
She is in her element being in charge of the new sales department.


in one`s face
- abruptly, unexpectedly
The plan blew up in our face just as we were ready to start.


in one's glory
- at one's best or happiest
I was in my glory when I had the best seats in the stadium.


in one`s good books/graces
- approved of by someone, liked by someone
I have been in my friend's good books since I helped her with her homework last month.


in one`s hair
- annoying someone
The child has been in my hair all morning because she is on holidays now.


in one`s mind`s eye
- in one`s imagination
In my mind`s eye I tried to imagine that I was on a nice sunny beach.


in one's opinion
- according to one's belief or judgement
In my opinion, my aunt is the best cook in the world.


in one's (own) backyard
- very close to someone
Nobody wants the chicken farm in their own backyard.


in one's own best interest(s)
- to one's advantage or benefit
It was in my friend's own best interests to move into a larger apartment with his family.


in one's prime
- at one's peak or best time
My cousin was in his prime when he entered the bicycle race.


in one's right mind
- rational and sensible
The girl was not in her right mind to quit her job right now.


in one's salad days
- in one's youth
In her salad days my mother was a very good dancer.


in one's second childhood
- interested in or doing things that children normally do
My uncle is in his second childhood and has just bought a sports car.


in one`s shell
- withdrawn, silent, not sociable
We are trying to get her out of her shell but she still doesn`t want to talk to anyone.


in one`s shoes
- in someone else's place or position
I wish that I was in his shoes with his great job and new car.


in one's spare time
- in one's free time
My cousin likes to fix old clocks in his spare time.


in one's Sunday best
- in one's best clothes that you would wear to worship (in the days when people dressed in a formal way)
I was dressed in my Sunday best when I went for the job interview.


in one`s tracks
- abruptly, immediately, just where one is at the moment
I stopped in my tracks when I saw the snake on the road.


in order to
- for the purpose of
They have decided to close down the school for the summer in order to do some major repairs.


in other words
- say something in a different (usually more direct) way
In other words, if I don`t finish the assignment by Wednesday I will not pass the course.


in over one's head
- have more difficulties than one can manage
The supervisor was in over his head when he began to try and fire people for no reason.


in part
- to some extent, partly
I think that the reason he is not golfing well this year is in part because of his back problem.


in particular
- specifically, especially
My father likes almost all sports but in particular he loves basketball.


in passing
- casually, as an aside
I mentioned to my friend in passing that I had recently decided to change jobs.


in pencil
- written or signed with a pencil
I wrote the exam in pencil in case I wanted to change some of the answers.


in perpetuity
- eternally, forever
The school was given the right to use the city park for sports in perpetuity.


in person
- actually present at a place or event
I had to go to the bank and sign the papers in person.


in place
- in the proper place or location
Everything in the room was in place when we arrived for the meeting.


in place of (someone or something)
- instead of someone or something
I was able to play in the soccer tournament in place of an injured player.


in plain language/English
- in simple and clear language
My bank explained to me in plain English what the terms of the loan were.


in point of fact
- really, truthfully
In point of fact there were not enough people at the meeting to vote on the proposal.


in practice
- in the actual doing of something
In practice the business does not operate the way that you would expect it to.


in practice
- well-practiced, well-exercised
The girl was not in practice and couldn't play the piano very well.


in print
- a book or magazine is available for sale from the publisher
The book which I am looking for is still in print.


in private
- privately
The meeting was held in private in the office of the school principal.


in progress
- taking place at this time
The meeting is now in progress so we can't enter the room.


in proportion
- having the right/wrong proportion in relation to something else
We tried to make sure that the bookshelves were in proportion when we rebuilt the house.


in public
- in a place/way where other people can see
People are not allowed to smoke in public in many places.


in pursuit of (something)
- chase after something
The young man has been in pursuit of his dream of becoming a doctor for a long time.


in rags
- dressed in worn-out and torn clothing
The man standing outside the restaurant was in rags.


in reality
- really
The woman said that she wants a job but in reality I don't think that she really wants to work.


in receipt of (something)
- having received something
I am in receipt of an order from the city to cut down a tree in our backyard.


in recent memory
- the recent period of time in which you can remember things
In recent memory our football team has never been as strong as it is this year.


in rehearsal
- developing or practicing for a play/opera/concert
I talked to the conductor of our orchestra in rehearsal today.


in remission
- a disease that seems to be getting better
The cancer of my neighbor's mother has been in remission for several weeks now.


in retrospect
- thinking about the past with the knowledge one now has
In retrospect, I would have handled the conflict with my friend very differently.


in return for (someone or something)
- as part of an exchange, as a way of paying someone back
In return for cleaning his carpets my friend helped me clean up our basement.


in round numbers/figures
- an estimated number, a figure that has been rounded off
I was able to learn, in round numbers, how much it would cost to move to a larger apartment.


in ruin
- destroyed
Most of the hotels along the beach were in ruin after the hurricane.


in search of (someone or something)
- trying to find someone or something
I have been in search of a good restaurant for the family dinner for several weeks now.


in season
- currently available for sale, legally able to be caught/hunted
The cherries are in season now and they are very delicious.


in secret
- secretly
The meeting to talk about building the new hospital took place in secret.


in session
- a court/organization is operating or functioning
The court has been in session since 90 AM.


in seventh heaven
- very happy
I have been in seventh heaven since I started my new job.


in shambles
- in a messy state
The house was in shambles after the two little boys played in it all day.


in short
- stated briefly
"In short, I have just explained how we are going to do the next project."


in short order
- very quickly
I finished my work in short order and joined my friends at the restaurant.


in short supply
- not enough, in less than the amount or number needed
Chairs were in short supply so some of the guests had to sit on the floor.


in sight
- able to be seen
There were no birds in sight so we went back to the hotel and stopped bird watching for the day.


in single file
- lined up, one behind the other
Everybody lined up in single file behind the leader of each group.


(not) in so many words
- (not) exactly, (not) explicitly
My teacher told me about the problems in our class but not in so many words.


in some/many respects
- with regard to some or many details
In many respects our new house is much more convenient than our previous one.


in some way(s)
- in some unspecified way or manner, by some unspecified means
In some ways I know what my friend thinks but in some ways I do not.


in (someone's) clutches
- in the control of someone who has power over someone else
I think that the young boy is in his friend's clutches and can't make up his mind for himself.


in (someone's) favor
- to someone's advantage or credit
The judge decided the court case in our favor and we didn't have to pay the court costs.


in (someone's) name
- in someone's ownership/property
I put my father's car in my name as soon as he gave it to me.


in (someone's) prayers
- remembered by name when someone prays
My friend's father was in my prayers when he went to the hospital for a major operation.


in (someone's) shoes/place
- seeing or experiencing something from someone else's point of view
I wish that my father could see some of my difficulties at work in my shoes.


in spite of
- in opposition to, despite
In spite of the terrible weather we went to the beach for a picnic.


in step with (someone or something)
- marching with the same rhythm as someone else, in agreement with the others in a group
All of the members of our group were in step with each other regarding the New Year's party.


in stitches
- laughing
They were in stitches over their teacher`s joke.


in stock
- having something ready to sell or use
The store didn`t have any computer discs in stock so we bought some over the Internet.


in storage
- in a place where things are stored or kept
We put all of our furniture in storage and went for a trip around the world.


in store
- ready to happen, waiting
I don`t really know what the future has in store for me but I will be ready for anything.


in style
- in fashion, fashionable
Recently, the clothes that my sister wears are not in style.


in surgery
- undergoing or doing surgery
My grandfather was in surgery for several hours this morning.


in tandem
- in single file
All of the students walked in tandem as they went to the sports festival.


in tatters
- torn or destroyed
My backpack was in tatters after the dogs finished playing with it.


in terms of (something)
- with regard to something
In terms of our agreement with the other company we were not allowed to sell the products online.


in the absence of (someone or something)
- without someone or something
In the absence of any concrete plans for the building we decided to try and sell it.


in the act of (doing something)
- while doing something
The young man was arrested in the act of stealing the stereo from the store.


in the affirmative
- saying yes
Everybody in the class voted in the affirmative to go golfing for the field trip.


in the air
- current, exerting an influence
It is in the air that we will be getting a new supervisor next week.


in the bag
- certain, sure
The new contract will be in the bag if we put in a good proposal.


in the balance
- in an undecided state
The decision to buy a car or not was in the balance as we tried to borrow some money from the bank.


in the bargain
- in addition to what was agreed upon
There was a camping stove in the bargain when we bought the camping equipment at the store.


in the best of health
- very healthy
My father has been in the best of health for many years now.


in the black
- have a credit balance, make a profit
The company has been in the black for over three years now.


in the buff/raw
- naked, nude
I was in the buff when the doorbell rang.


in the cards
- to be expected, likely to happen, predictable
I think that a new company policy is in the cards but I can`t be sure.


in the care of (someone)
- in the keeping of someone
The package for my cousin arrived at our house in the care of my father.


in the case of (someone or something)
- in the matter of someone or something
In the case of the man who stole the car he went to jail for several months.


in the charge of
- under the care or supervision of
The girl has been in the charge of her grandmother since her mother and father died.


in the chips
- wealthy
My aunt has been in the chips since she won the lottery.


in the clear
- with nothing to limit action, free of anything that makes moving or seeing difficult
We seem to be in the clear now so it should be safe to cross the road.


in the clear
- free of blame or suspicion
The police talked to the three boys for a few minutes but they seem to be in the clear now.


in the clouds
- far from real life, in dreams, in thought
His head is usually in the clouds so you may have trouble finding out what you want to know from him.


in the context of (something)
- in the circumstances under which something has happened
In the context of everyday work I could understand what my friend was saying.


in the course of
- during
In the course of his life he visited over 45 countries.


in the dark
- having no information about something
He is still in the dark about my plans to quit my job.


in the doghouse
- in trouble
He is in the doghouse with his wife after staying out late last night.


in the doldrums
- sluggish, in low spirits
My mother has been in the doldrums since she came back from her holidays.


in the driver's seat
- in control
I am in the driver's seat regarding what kind of apartment we rent for our holiday.


in the event of (something)
- if something happens
In the event of a fire, everybody must immediately leave by the front door.


in the final/last analysis
- in truth, when all the facts are known
In the final analysis I believe that it will be impossible to continue with our present policy.


in the first place
- firstly, to begin with
"Of course I can`t go. In the first place I must work on Saturday. In the second place I have no money."


in the flesh
- really present, in person
I have never had the chance to meet the president of our university in the flesh.


in the groove
- at one`s best, doing something very well
We are finally in the groove and should be able to finish this job by early next week.


in the hole
- having a score lower than zero in a game
At the beginning of the game we were in the hole but later we began to do well.


in the hole
- in debt, lose money
Although he is always working he always seems to be in the hole.


in the interest of (someone or something)
- as a benefit to someone or something, to advance or improve someone or something
In the interest of improving communication between the members of the staff we had a large barbecue so people could meet each other.


in the interim
- in the time between the ending and beginning of something
The school is not yet built so in the interim we have our classes in an office building.


in the know
- knowledgeable
I don't think that our teacher is in the know about the problems in the other classes.


in the lap of luxury
- in luxurious surroundings
I have been living in the lap of luxury since I got a big salary increase at work.


in the limelight
- at the center of attention
Our police chief has been in the limelight since the big scandal began.


in the line of duty
- done or happening as part of a job
The police officer was killed in the line of duty during the bank robbery.


in the long run
- the distant future, in the end
For now he is losing money on his stocks but in the long run he should make money.


in the mainstream
- following current trends/styles that are popular or common
My brother has never been in the mainstream when it comes to working and raising a family.


in the market for (something)
- wanting or ready to buy something
I am in the market for a new computer as my old one is too slow.


in the meantime
- the period of time between now and the beginning of something
I can't go to university now so in the meantime I am going to a junior college.


in the middle of nowhere
- in a very remote place
We stopped in the middle of nowhere to have a picnic.


in the money
- wealthy, the winning position in a race
Now that my cousin is working, he is finally in the money.


in the mood for (something)
- feel like doing something
I am not in the mood for pizza this evening.


in the near future
- in the time immediately ahead
In the near future I plan to move to a smaller apartment and try to save some money.


in the nick of time
- just in time, just before it is too late
I was able to answer the telephone just in the nick of time.


in the nude
- naked
I was in the nude after my shower when the phone rang.


in the offing
- happening at some time in the future
There is a meeting in the offing to try and make a new schedule for the junior tennis games.


in the open
- in an area that is not closed in, outdoors
Everybody was out in the open during the wedding when the rain began to fall.


in the pink
- in very good health
My grandmother is in the pink and is doing very well.


in the prime of life
- in the best and most productive and healthy period of life
The young man was in a terrible car accident and died in the prime of life.


in the public eye
- publicly, visible to all
The actor has not been in the public eye since he got into trouble with the law.


in the rear
- behind someone or something
There were several trucks in the rear when they opened the bridge to traffic last night.


in the red
- lose money, not make a profit
The company has been in the red for three years now.


in the right
- on the right or legal side of an issue
I was in the right when I was involved in the car accident at the intersection.


in the right place at the right time
- in a place or time that is beneficial to you
I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time when I found my job.


in the running
- competing and having a chance to win
I think that I am in the running for a promotion at my company.


in the saddle
- in command, in control
The president is back in the saddle again after being ill for several months.


in the same boat
- in a similar situation
We are all in the same boat now that our store has gone out of business.


in the same breath
- said almost at the same time
My friend said that he was busy on Friday but in the same breath he suggested that we go away for the weekend.


in the second place
- in addition, secondly
In the first place I am very tired and in the second place I don't have enough money to go to the movie.


in the short run
- for the immediate future
In the short run I don't think that my uncle will make much money with his fast food business.


in the soup
- in serious trouble, in disorder
She is in the soup now that she has had a big fight with her boss.


in the swim
- active in something, know what is going on
He is definitely in the swim. He has information about everybody.


in the trust of (someone)
- under the responsibility or care of someone
My grandmother's money was placed in the trust of my mother.


in the twinkling of an eye
- very quickly
In the twinkling of an eye the little boy disappeared in the department store.


in the unlikely event of/that
- if something which probably won't happen actually happens
In the unlikely event that the money will not be transferred to the bank we will send out a check.


in the wake of (something)
- as a result of something, following something
In the wake of the large number of people who have recently left our company we will need to hire some new people.


in the way of (something)
- as a kind of something
I gave my girlfriend a small present in the way of trying to apologize for our fight last week.


in the wind
- soon to happen, being planned
It is in the wind that they are planning to open a new store next year.


in the works
- in preparation, being planned or worked on
Don`t worry about whether or not we will be building the new computer lab. It is definitely in the works.


in the worst way
- very much
I would like to go to the new movie in the worst way.


in the wrong
- wrong, against justice/truth/fact
The driver was in the wrong and was arrested by the police after the accident.


in the wrong place at the wrong time
- something bad happens in a place or time where you happen to be
The man was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the car hit him.


in theory
- theoretically
In theory it is possible to make much money selling real estate but in practice it is very difficult.


in this day and age
- presently, currently
In this day and age it is almost impossible to find a store that sells the old style of cassette tape players.


in time
- early enough
I didn`t come home in time to meet my cousin.


in times past
- long ago, in previous times
In times past many people would attend the sports festival in the small town.


in top form
- in very good physical condition
The tennis star was in top form during the big tournament.


in touch
- talking or writing to each other, giving or getting news
We are still in touch even though we have been out of school for many years.


in tow
- being pulled
The truck had a trailer in tow when it went off the highway.


in tow
- being taken from place to place, going along with someone
She spent the morning at the shopping center with her child in tow.


in transit
- in the process of being transported
The cars were in transit when there was a train and truck accident.


in trouble
- in danger, in difficulty
The boy has been in trouble with the school all of this term.


in tune
- going well together, in agreement, matching
We have been in tune with each other ever since we met at our high school graduation party.


in turn
- each following another
We went up to the front of the class in turn in order to pick up our diplomas.


in two shakes of a lamb`s tail
- quickly, in no time at all
"I will have this finished in two shakes of a lamb`s tail and then I will give it to you."


in unison
- acting as one, together and at the same time
The fans cried out in unison when the star player made a goal.


in vain
- without effect, without success
I tried in vain to find a good job but it was impossible.


in view of
- after thinking about, because of
In view of the large number of people who have come, I think that we will need a bigger room.


in with
- in friendship/favor/closeness with someone
I think that he was in with the wrong group of people when he was in high school.


inch along
- move along slowly
The road was very bad this morning and the traffic was only inching along.


inch by inch
- little by little, one inch at a time
I checked the park inch by inch to try and find my watch.


inclined to (do something)
- tend toward doing something
Our boss is not inclined to let us take extra days off work during the busy summer months.


incumbent upon (someone) to (do something)
- necessary for someone to do something
It is incumbent upon the next mayor to try and do something about crime in the city.


ins and outs of (something)
- all the details of something
He knows all the ins and outs of the new machine.


inside and out
- in every part, completely
We checked the room inside and out for my lost wallet.


inside out
- so that the inside is turned outside
She turned her purse inside out in order to look for her lost key.


inside track
- an advantage, shortest distance around a racetrack
I think that he has the inside track on getting the new job at the computer company.


instead of
- in place of
"Let`s meet at the restaurant instead of the department store as we had planned."


instrumental in (doing something)
- playing an important part in doing something
Our teacher was instrumental in getting the school to change their policy on using the library after school.


intent on (doing something)
- determined to do something
I am intent on buying some new furniture when we move to a new house.


into being
- into existence
The new parking regulations came into being early last week.


into thin air
- completely, without anything left
The group of hikers vanished into thin air and were never heard of again.


invasion of (someone's) privacy
- intrude and cause someone to lose their privacy
It was an invasion of our privacy when the supervisor asked us to open the mail that we received in the company.


invest (something) in (something)
- put one's time/effort/energy into doing something
I have been investing a lot of time into the project to raise money for the new counseling center for young people.


iron out (something)
- work out something, solve a problem
We have ironed out all of our problems at work and are doing better now.


irons in the fire
- things one is doing, projects with which a person is busy
Recently he has too many irons in the fire. That is why he has become sick.


issue a call for (something)
- make a public invitation or request for something
The government issued a call for people to donate goods to help the hurricane victims.


itching palm
- a wish for money, greed
The guard at the hotel has an itching palm so be careful of him.

a jack-of-all-trades
- a person who can do many things
We gave the man a job because we needed a jack-of-all-trades to look after the many repairs.


jack up (something)
- raise prices, raise something with a lifting device
The gas station jacked up their prices during the snow storm.
We jacked up the car so we could change the tire.


jam on the brakes
- quickly put the brakes on in a car to stop
He jammed on the brakes and was able to avoid hitting the child.


jam-packed
- crowded, full
The train that we took this morning was jam-packed with people.


to jazz up (something)
- brighten up something, add more noise/movement/color to something
They jazzed up the community center for the party tonight.


Jekyll and Hyde
- someone with both an evil and a good personality
My co-worker is like Jekyll and Hyde. One minute he is very friendly but the next minute he is angry.


jockey for position
- try to push one's way into an advantageous position
Several of the salesmen began to jockey for position when they learned that the director of sales was leaving.


jog (someone's) memory
- stimulate someone's memory to recall something
The questions that the police officer asked helped to jog the man's memory.


John Doe
- a name used for an unknown/average person
The application forms use the name "John Doe" as the name of a person who is applying for something.


John Henry/John Hancock
- one's signature
"Please sign your John Henry here and we will process your order right away."


Johnny-come-lately
- a new-comer
He`s a Johnny-come-lately and doesn`t really know what he is talking about.


Johnny-on-the-spot
- someone who is at the right place when needed or is right on time
He is always Johnny-on-the-spot. Just when we need him he arrives.


join forces (with someone)
- unite/join with someone
The two high schools joined forces to try and raise money for the city library expansion.


join hands
- hold hands with other people
Everybody in the group joined hands at the end of the meeting.


Join the club!
- an expression used when the other person is in the same situation (usually bad) as the speaker
"Join the club. None of us have enough money to go on a holiday."


join the fray
- join a fight or argument
I did not want to join the fray and argue with the other members of the group.


jolt to a stop
- stop moving suddenly which causes a jolt
The train jolted to a stop when the engineer put the brakes on.


judge (someone or something) on its own merits
- judge or evaluate someone or something on its own good points and achievements
Our company always judges each employee on his or her own merits.


judging by (something)
- considering something
Judging by the weather, I don't think that we will be able to go to the festival today.






jump all over (someone)
- criticize/scold/blame someone
As soon as I began to talk about my plans for the summer my boss jumped all over me.


jump at (something)
- seize the opportunity to do something
He jumped at the chance to go to France on company business.


jump bail
- run away and fail to come to trial and therefore give up the money that you have already paid to the court
The man jumped bail and went to live in a foreign country.


jump down (someone`s) throat
- criticize or become angry with someone
As soon as I reached the office my boss jumped down my throat over the missing file.


jump on (someone)
- scold/criticize/blame someone
Everybody jumped on the supervisor because they were angry about the new schedules.


jump/climb/get on the bandwagon
- join a popular activity/campaign
Everybody jumped on the bandwagon to try and stop smoking in the workplace.


jump out of one`s skin
- be badly frightened
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the man at the window.


jump the gun
- start before you should
He jumped the gun and started selling the tickets before he should have.


jump the track
- jump off the rails, change suddenly from one thing to another
The train jumped the track near the edge of the town.


jump through a hoop
- do whatever one is told to do, obey any order
He is always ready to jump through a hoop for his boss so he is not very popular with the other employees.


jump to conclusions
- make a quick conclusion without thinking about it
"Please don`t jump to conclusions over who broke the computer."


jumping-off place/point
- the starting place of a long trip, start of something
We gathered early in the morning at the jumping-off place for our hike to the mountains.


.



the jury is still out (on someone or something)
- have not decided about something
For myself, the jury is still out on whether or not it will be a good idea to look for a new job.






just about
- nearly, almost
I waited just about one hour before the concert started.


just in case (something happens)
- if something happens
I plan to take my umbrella just in case it rains today.


just now
- this very moment, almost at this moment
The accident happened just now. The police haven`t even arrived yet.


just one of those things
- something that you really can't do anything about
The fact that I failed the driver's test was just one of those things and there is nothing that I can do about it.


just so
- done with great care, done very carefully
She always makes sure that her hair is just so before she goes out.


just the same
- nevertheless
I told her not to come early but just the same she came early anyway.


just what the doctor ordered
- exactly what is needed or wanted
Having the extra day off from work was just what the doctor ordered and I was able to get many things done.

__________________
"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."

kangaroo court
- an illegal court formed by a group of people to settle a dispute among themselves
The men were convicted by a kangaroo court in the town and nobody agreed with the decision.


Katie bar the door
- get ready for trouble, a desperate situation is at hand
The gang arrived at the hotel and were ready to come in and fight. "Katie bar the door."


keel over
- fall over and faint
Three of the members of the band keeled over because of the heat.


keel over
- turn upside down, tip over
The boat keeled over in the middle of the lake but everybody was safe.


keen on (someone or something)
- be enthusiastic about someone or something
My girlfriend is keen on going to a movie this weekend.






keep a civil tongue
- speak decently and politely
The angry customer was asked to keep a civil tongue when talking with the sales clerk.


keep a close watch on (someone or something)
- monitor or observe someone or something
The woman always keeps a close watch on her child when she is at the shopping center.


keep a close watch over (someone or something)
- guard or care for someone or something
I kept a close watch over the soup as it was cooking.


keep a secret
- to not tell a secret to others
I have been trying to keep a secret about my friend's boyfriend for a long time now.


keep a stiff upper lip
- be brave, face trouble bravely
The storm victims tried hard to keep a stiff upper lip in spite of the hardships of their situation.


keep a straight face
- stop oneself from smiling or laughing
It was difficult to keep a straight face when the man fell off his chair into the grass.


keep a tight/close rein on (someone or something)
- strictly watch and control someone or something
Our principal keeps a tight rein on what is being taught in the classrooms.


keep abreast (of something)
- keep informed about something
I read the newspaper regularly so that I can keep abreast of current events.


keep after/at (someone)
- remind someone over and over about something
I always have to keep after my friend to do her job properly.


keep an eye on (someone or something)
- watch and take care of something (but not just look at something)
"Will you keep an eye on the baby while I go to the store."


keep an eye out for (someone or something)
- watch for the arrival or appearance of someone or something
I kept an eye out for a nice restaurant after I arrived in the small town.


keep at (something)
- persist with something
He has decided to keep at his studies and I am sure that he will succeed.


keep body and soul together
- keep alive, survive
It was very cold during the winter but somehow she was able to keep body and soul together and survived.


keep books
- keep records of money gained and spent, do the work of a bookkeeper
My first job was to keep books for a small company in my hometown.


keep company (with someone)
- associate with or spend much time with someone
I like to keep company with my friends from university.


keep cool
- stay calm
The police officers were trained to keep cool in difficult situations.


keep down (something)
- keep from progressing or growing, keep within limits, control
The students were told to keep down the noise as some of the other classes were having exams.


keep from (doing something)
- prevent/refrain from doing something
I love ice cream and couldn`t keep from eating three bowls.


keep good time
- work accurately (used for a clock or watch)
My watch has not been keeping good time lately.


keep harping on (something)
- continue to talk or complain about something
The boy's father keeps harping on the fact that his son never does his homework.


keep house
- look after a house or a household
She has been keeping house for her father while he is sick.


keep in touch (with someone)
- talk or write to someone
I have always tried to keep in touch with my friends from high school.


keep late hours
- stay up or stay out until very late
My friend keeps late hours now that he is working for the newspaper.


keep off (something)
- stay off someone's land or other property
The students were asked to keep off the grass which was being replanted.


keep on (doing something)
- continue
She is careless and keeps on making the same mistakes over and over.


keep on an even keel
- remain cool and calm
I was very busy with my job and school but I tried very hard to keep on an even keel and get everything done.


keep on one's toes
- stay alert and watchful
I try to keep on my toes during a class where the teacher may ask me a question.


keep one`s chin up
- be brave, be determined
"Try and keep your chin up. Things will get better in the future."


keep one`s cool
- to stay/remain calm
I tried to keep my cool during the argument with my neighbor.


keep one's distance from (someone or something)
- maintain a certain distance from someone or something
The girl always keeps her distance from the other students in the class.


keep one`s eye on the ball
- be watchful and ready for something
"You should keep your eye on the ball or you will make a mistake."


keep one's eyes open
- remain alert and watchful for someone or something
"Please keep your eyes open for a good place to eat so that we can have lunch."


keep one's feet on the ground
- remain firmly established
My friend lost his job but he is trying hard to keep his feet on the ground.


keep one`s fingers crossed
- wish for good results in something one is doing
"Please keep your fingers crossed that I will pass my exam."


keep one's hand in (something)
- retain some control of something
My uncle sold his business but he is still trying to keep his hand in some of its operations.


keep one's hands off (someone or something)
- refrain from touching or handling someone or something
My aunt asked her nephew to keep his hands off her furniture.


keep one`s head
- stay calm when there is trouble or danger
He is a very good leader and is able to keep his head during an emergency.


keep one`s head above water
- have the ability to pay one`s bills
He is having trouble keeping his head above water since his salary decreased.


keep one`s mouth shut
- be/stay silent
I was very angry and I told my friend to keep his mouth shut. Later I had to apologize.


keep one`s nose clean
- stay out of trouble
He has been able to keep his nose clean since he moved to the new town.


keep one's nose out of (someone's) business
- refrain from interfering in someone else's business
I try hard to keep my nose out of my friend's business so he doesn't become angry with me.


keep one`s nose to the grindstone
- work very hard
He is keeping his nose to the grindstone these days and I haven`t had a chance to meet him.


keep one's opinions to oneself
- don't give your opinion (especially when you disagree with others)
I try to keep my opinions to myself when I talk to my father about the local city government.


keep one`s own counsel
- keep one`s ideas and plans to oneself
He always keeps his own counsel and never reveals his plans to anyone.


keep one's place
- exhibit behavior suitable to one's position/place in life
I was told to keep my place when I began to complain about the food in the school cafeteria.


keep one`s shirt on
- be calm, keep from losing one`s temper or becoming too impatient
"Try and keep your shirt on! Everything will be all right in a few minutes."


keep one`s wits about one
- stay calm when there is trouble or danger
Although there was a fire in the building, he was able to keep his wits about him and help everybody to safety.
keep one`s word
- fulfill/keep one`s promise
She never keeps her word, so I don`t believe that she will come to the party as she said.


keep pace (with someone or something)
- go as fast or go at the same rate as someone or something
It is difficult to keep pace with the other students but somehow I manage.


keep quiet
- remain silent
"Could you please keep quiet and listen to the instructions."


keep (someone) company
- sit and stay with someone (especially someone who is lonely or sick)
I stayed home last night so that I could keep my mother company.


keep (someone) from (doing something)
- prevent someone from doing something
I tried hard to keep my friend from buying a new car.


keep (someone or something) in check
- keep under control, restrain
The economic policy was designed to keep inflation in check.


keep (someone) in line
- make someone behave properly
The teacher is very strict and she knows how to keep her students in line.


keep (someone or something) in mind
- remember and think about someone or something
I told my co-workers to keep the new starting time for work in mind.


keep (someone) in stitches
- cause someone to laugh continuously
The man kept me in stitches with his funny stories.


keep (someone) on
- allow someone to continue working for you
Although we have too many workers we have decided to keep everybody on until business improves.


keep (someone) on tenterhooks
- keep someone anxious or in suspense
I was kept on tenterhooks as I waited to hear the results of my exam.


keep (someone) posted
- keep someone informed or up-to-date
I asked my friend to keep me posted on his new job and address.


keep (someone or something) still/quiet
- make someone or something silent or less noisy
The mother had a hard time keeping her child still in the airplane.


keep (someone) up
- prevent someone from going to bed
My neighbors kept me up last night with their loud music.


keep (something) down
- keep food in one's stomach (without vomiting it up when sick)
The child was sick and found it difficult to keep his food down.


keep (something) to oneself
- keep something a secret
I asked my friend to keep the news to herself.


keep (something) under one`s hat
- keep a secret, do not tell something
He won`t say where he is going for his holiday. He wants to keep it under his hat.


keep (something) under wraps
- keep something concealed (until some future date)
We decided to keep our plans for the new project under wraps.


keep still
- do not move
I tried to keep still during the long lecture.


keep tabs on (someone or something)
- watch/check/observe someone or something
We have been keeping tabs on the spending of the sales department.


keep the ball rolling
- keep up an activity or action, not allow something that is happening to slow or stop
We should try to keep the ball rolling and get most of our work done now.


keep the home fires burning
- keep things going as usual while someone is away
"Don`t worry about anything. I will stay home and keep the home fires burning while you are on your holiday."


keep the lid on (something)
- restrain something, keep something quiet
The hospital worked hard to keep the lid on the drug scandal.


keep the wolf from the door
- maintain oneself at a basic level
My job pays just enough money to keep the wolf from the door.


keep time
- keep track of the time in a game or athletic contest
I kept time during the football game at our high school.


keep time
- keep the beat, keep the same musical rhythm
It is difficult for the girl to keep time when she is playing in the band.


keep time
- to keep accurate time (for a watch or clock)
My old watch will not keep time at all.


keep to oneself
- stay away from other people
Our neighbor is very quiet and likes to keep to herself.


keep track of (someone or something)
- maintain a record of something
"Please carefully keep track of your expenses during the trip."


keep up
- do not stop, continue
We are working hard to keep up the same level of production as last year.


keep up
- keep something at the same level or in good condition
He spends a lot of time trying to keep up the garden of his house.


keep up an act
- act in a way that is different from one's natural behavior
I think that the woman is trying to keep up an act even though she has almost no money.


keep up appearances
- keep an outward show of prosperity or good behavior
He is trying to keep up appearances even though he has lost his job.


keep up with (someone or something)
- go at the same speed as a person or thing, maintain the same rate of progress
I can`t keep up with the rest of the class.


keep up with the news
- keep informed
I read the newspaper every morning in order to keep up with the news.


keep up with the Joneses
- try to be the same as your neighbors
He always worries about keeping up with the Joneses and is always frustrated.


keep up with the times
- stay in fashion
My aunt tries very hard to keep up with the times.


.



(a fine) kettle of fish
- a situation that is not satisfactory, a mess
"This is a fine kettle of fish. What will we do with no water in our house."


keyed up
- excited, nervous
I was keyed up after we won the game and I couldn`t go to sleep.


kick around
- treat badly, act roughly or badly to someone or something
I don`t like her very much because she is always kicking around her employees.


kick around
- lie around and do nothing or only do small tasks
I was tired on Saturday so I kicked around the house all morning.


kick back
- relax and not do much
I`m going to kick back this evening and watch television.


kick in (some money or something)
- contribute some money for something
Everybody kicked in to collect some money for a present for our teacher.


to kick off (something)
- begin/launch/start something
The department store kicked off their summer sale early Saturday morning.


a kick-off
- a start
The kick-off for the no smoking campaign will start next week.


kick oneself
- regret something
I kicked myself for not applying for the job sooner.


kick out (someone)
- make someone go or leave, dismiss someone
The boy was kicked out of school because of his bad behavior.


kick/turn over
- a motor starts
At first the engine wouldn`t start because it was too cold but finally it kicked over.


kick the bucket
- die
The man who used to clean the building kicked the bucket last week.


kick the habit
- stop a bad habit
He has been trying to kick his smoking habit for many years.


kick up a fuss/storm
- make trouble, be a nuisance about something
I didn`t think that it was a big problem but my boss kicked up a fuss when I told him about the accident.


kick up one`s heels
- have a good time, celebrate
We kicked up our heels at the farewell party that we attended last week.


a kickback
- money paid illegally for favorable treatment
The construction company gave the politician an illegal kickback in order to win the contract.


.



kid around (with someone)
- tease and joke with someone
The students were kidding around with the teacher after the class.


kid's stuff
- a very easy task
It was kid's stuff. We were able to fix the stove very easily.


kill off (something)
- kill or end completely, destroy
The pollution in the river has killed off all of the fish.


kill the fatted calf
- prepare a big feast (in someone's honor)
We decided to kill the fatted calf and have a big dinner for my uncle.


kill the goose that layed/lays the golden egg
- spoil something that is good or something that one has by being greedy
He was always complaining about his job but now it is gone. He has killed the goose that layed the golden egg.


kill time
- waste time
We had to kill a lot of time before the movie started.


kill two birds with one stone
- accomplish two things with one action
He was able to kill two birds with one stone by going to the meeting.


killed outright
- killed immediately
The man was killed outright when the truck hit him on the street.


kind of
- moderately, somewhat, more or less
I was kind of tired when I arrived home last night.


kink in my neck
- a cramp in one's neck that causes pain
I woke up this morning with a kink in my neck.


kiss and make up
- forgive someone and be friends again
I want to kiss and make up with my friend after our argument.


kiss and tell
- participate in something private and then tell others about it
I don't trust her because she is the kind of person who will kiss and tell.


kiss of death
- an act that puts an end to someone or something
When the girl learned that I knew her teacher, it was the kiss of death. She didn't want to talk to me anymore.


kiss (something) good-bye
- lose something
"You can kiss your computer good-bye. It is totally destroyed."


kit and caboodle
- the entire amount, everything
I brought the whole kit and caboodle of my fishing supplies when I went fishing.


kith and kin
- friends and relatives
All of our kith and kin attended the anniversary for my parents.


knee-high to a grasshopper
- very young (like a child)
I learned to ride a bicycle when I was knee-high to a grasshopper.


knew it was coming
- aware in advance that something was going to happen
I knew it was coming when my boss asked me into her office and told me that the store would soon close.


knit one's brow
- wrinkle one's brow by frowning
The teacher knit his brow and looked sternly at the child.



knock about
- travel without a plan, go where one pleases
We decided to go to Brazil and knock about for a couple of months.


a knock-down-drag-out fight
- a serious fight or argument
My friend and his brother had a knock-down-drag-out fight last evening.


Knock it off!
- stop doing something, quit
"Please knock it off! You are going to hurt yourself if you are not careful."


knock off work
- quit work (for the day)
We knocked off work early so that we could go to the championship game.


knock on wood
- knock on something made of wood to keep from having bad luck
I don`t think that I will lose my job - knock on wood.


knock one`s head against the wall
- waste time trying to do something with no success
They have been knocking their heads against the wall for years trying to find a solution to the problem.


knock oneself out
- make a great effort
They really knocked themselves out trying to make the party successful.


knock (some) heads together
- scold some people
The coach decided that he would have to knock some heads together if he wanted to get the team into the playoffs.


knock (someone) around
- mistreat someone
The boy was sent home from school for knocking around some other members of the class.


knock (someone) dead
- put on a stunning performance for someone
The performance of the jazz group knocked the audience dead.


knock (someone) down (to size)
- make a person more humble
The fact that the golfer lost the tournament helped to knock him down to size.


knock (someone) off
- murder someone
The owner of the shop was knocked off in the robbery last week.


knock (someone) off their feet
- surprise or shock someone so much that he does not know what to do
When they announced that I had won the prize it knocked me off my feet.


knock (someone or something) out
- make someone unconscious, make something unworkable or unusable
The storm last night knocked out power in most of the town.


knock (someone) over with a feather
- surprise someone by something extraordinary
It could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw my friend on TV last night.


knock (someone's) block off
- hit someone very hard (in the head), beat someone up
He was very angry and threatened to knock the block off of anyone who came near him.


knock (something) back/down
- drink down a drink (usually alcohol)
The medicine tasted terrible but I was able to knock it down.


knock (something) off
- finish/do something (often in haste or carelessly)
The small furniture company is able to knock off many tables very fast.


knock the props out from under (someone)
- destroy someone's confidence, destroy someone's emotional/financial/moral base
The teacher knocked the props out from under the student when she criticized the student's work.


a knockout
- a very beautiful woman
The man said that the woman he saw at the bus stop was a knockout.






know a thing or two (about someone or something)
- be well informed about someone or something
My father works in a software development company and knows a thing or two about computers.


know a trick or two
- know some special way of dealing with a problem
I know a trick or two about how to handle a customer who is angry or upset.


know all the tricks of the trade
- possess the skills and knowledge necessary to do something
My cousin knows all the tricks of the trade and is a very good plumber.


know better (than to do something)
- be smart enough not to do something
I told my friend that she should know better than to phone me at 70 AM on a Saturday morning.


know-how
- knowledge and skill
Our new boss has a lot of know-how about how to operate a business.


not know if one is coming or going
- not know what to do
The new sales manager does not seem to know if he is coming or going.


a know-it-all
- a person who acts as if he or she knows everything
He is a know-it-all and nobody likes to be around him.


know one's ABCs
- know the most basic things about something
The woman in the bank knows her ABC's and can provide any information that we need.


know one's place
- know the behavior suitable to one's position in life
The boy doesn't know his place and often speaks out when he shouldn't.


know one's stuff
- know about something well
The man know's his stuff and is a very good plumber.


know one's way around/about
- know how to get something done, know about something
My friend knows his way around the city very well.


know (someone) by sight
- know the name and recognize the face of someone
I know the professor's name but I do not know him by sight.


know (someone or something) like a book/like an open book
- know someone or something very well
I know the personality of my friend like a book.


know (someone or something) like the back of one's hand
- know someone or something very well
I know the material for the exam like the back of my hand.


know (something) backwards and forwards
- know something very well
I know the names of the people in my history class backwards and forwards.


know (something) by heart
- know something perfectly and from memory
I know the poem by heart.


know (something) from memory
- know something well from seeing it often
I know most of the telephone numbers from memory.


know (something) inside out
- know something thoroughly
I know the history of our city inside out.


know (something) only too well
- know something very well
I know only too well what will happen if I don't finish my essay on time.


not know the first thing about something
- lack basic knowledge about something
He does not know the first thing about computers.


know the ropes
- know how to do something
I know the ropes at my job and I get along very well at work.


know the score
- know the facts (about life or something)
The man doesn't know the score about what is going on at his company.


know what's what
- know the facts about something
It was difficult to determine what's what with the man's problem.


know when one is not wanted
- sense when one's presence is not welcome
I know when I am not wanted so I decided not to go to the restaurant.


know where (someone) stands on (something)
- know what someone thinks or feels about someone or something
I do not know where the mayor stands on the issue of the new parking fees.


know which is which
- be able to distinguish one thing or person from another
I saw my aunt's dog and my cousin's dog at my aunt's house but I don't know which is which.


know which side one`s bread is buttered on
- know who can help you and try to please him or her, know what is good for oneself
He is careful not to make his boss angry. He knows which side his bread is buttered on.



.



a known fact
- something that is generally recognized as a fact
It is a known fact that more people get colds in the winter than in the summer.


a known quantity
- someone or something that is known and understood
The new employee is a known quantity in our office because he worked here before.


knuckle down (to something)
- begin to work earnestly
I think it is time that we knuckle down and finish this project.


knuckle under
- yield, submit
The union finally knuckled under from the pressure and ended the strike.

__________________
"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."

a labor of love
- something done for personal pleasure and not for money
The man's book is a labor of love and he doesn`t expect to make any money from it.


lace into (someone)
- attack or scold someone
The mother laced into her child when he came home late from the movie.


lace into (something)
- devour/eat food
We laced into our dinner as soon as we entered the house.


lady killer
- a man who some women find very charming and attractive
The man in the movie was a lady killer who broke the hearts of many women.


lady`s man
- a man who is popular with women
He is a lady`s man and always seems to have a woman interested in him.


laid-back
- relaxed, not worried by things
Our teacher has a very laid-back attitude about how long we should spend preparing for our class.


be laid up
- be confined to bed or unfit for work
He has been laid up for a few days because of a cold.


a lame duck
- a public official who has a short time left to serve in office and therefore has less power than before
He was a lame-duck leader so it was difficult for him to accomplish some things.


land of Nod
- sleep
I entered the land of Nod as soon as my head hit the pillow.


land on one`s feet/both feet
- come out of a bad situation successfully
My friend always manages to land on his feet no matter how difficult the situation is.


land up (somewhere or in some situation)
- come to be in a certain place or situation
We landed up in the suburbs although we were trying to go downtown.


landslide victory
- a very substantial victory (usually in an election)
My favorite candidate won a landslide victory in the election.


lap up (something)
- to eat or drink something with the tongue (as a dog or cat would)
The dog lapped up the milk that his owner had given him.


lap up (something)
- eagerly take in or accept some information/praise
He lapped up the praise that his boss gave him for the recently completed project.


lapse into a coma
- go into a coma
The woman lapsed into a coma soon after the accident.


lash out (at someone)
- attack someone with words
They were walking along the beach when the girl suddenly lashed out in anger at her boyfriend.


lash out (at someone)
- suddenly try to hit someone
The boy suddenly lashed out and hit the man who was sitting beside him.


last but not least
- in the last place but not the least important
Last but not least the boy came up to the front of the class to receive his report card.


a last-ditch effort
- a final effort
The government made a last-ditch effort to prevent a strike by the teachers.


the last person
- the most unlikely person to do something or to be seen somewhere
My friend is the last person that you would expect to see in a clothing store buying clothes.


the last straw
- the last insult or mistake that one can endure and which then causes some reaction
The fourth time that the girl came to work late was the last straw and we finally fired her.


last will and testament
- one's will (especially its latest version)
After my grandfather's funeral my uncle read out his last will and testament.


the last word
- the last remark in an argument, the final say in deciding something
She always expects to have the last word when she and her husband go shopping together.


late in life
- when one is older
Some very great painters never started painting until rather late in life.


late in the day
- far along in a project or activity
We received some new instructions for our marketing effort but it was a little late in the day to change our plans.


laugh all the way to the bank
- make money in a way that other people think is impossible
I was laughing all the way to the bank with the money that I made from selling drinks at the sports stadium.


laugh off (something)
- to not take something seriously
The man laughed off the attempt by his boss to make him come to work on time.


laugh out of the other side of one's mouth
- change from being happy to being sad
My friend was laughing out of the other side of his mouth when he learned that he would get a ticket for parking his car in the wrong place.


laugh (something) out of court
- dismiss (a legal case) as being ridiculous
They laughed the case out of court when the woman tried to sue the dog's owner after the dog ate her flowers.


laugh up one's sleeve
- laugh quietly to oneself
I was laughing up my sleeve when I learned that my friend would have to clean the bathroom at work and not me.


launch forth (on something)
- start out on something
Our boss launched forth on a long criticism of how we were doing our jobs.


a law unto oneself
- one who makes one's own laws or rules
The city council member thought that she was a law unto herself until she resigned because of a scandal.



not lay a finger/hand on (someone)
- not touch someone, not do something to someone
The man was told by the police never to lay a finger on his wife again.


lay an egg
- fail to win the interest or favor of an audience
Although the magician was supposed to be good, his performance was terrible and it laid an egg with the audience.


lay away (something)
- save something
The couple are trying to lay away some money for their holiday next year.


lay down one's life (for someone or something)
- sacrifice one's life for someone or something
The young man layed down his life trying to protect the property of his company.


lay down the law
- tell someone what to do by using your power or influence
The new manager plans to lay down the law to the workers regarding long lunch breaks.


lay eyes on (someone or something)
- see someone or something
I have never laid eyes on a more beautiful dog in my life.


lay hold of (something)
- get possession of something
If I can lay hold of some tools I will help you fix your toilet.


lay in (something)
- store up a supply of something, get and store something for future use
They are trying to lay in as much food as possible before winter comes.


lay/light into (someone)
- attack someone with words
As soon as I came into work this morning my boss laid/lit into me about my poor sales performance last month.


lay/light into (something)
- do/eat something with much energy and enthusiasm
He laid into the steak as soon as the waiter brought it to his table.


lay it on thick
- praise someone too much
My friend began to lay it on thick when I told him about my new job.


lay low
- to hide, to keep out of sight for a period of time
He decided to lay low until his friend forgot that he had damaged his car.


the lay of the land
- the features of an area of land or of an organization
We checked out the lay of the land before we put up our tent and made a camping site.


lay off (someone)
- stop bothering someone, leave someone alone
The coach told the players to lay off the new player so that he could relax before the game.


lay off (something)
- stop using or taking something bad (alcohol/drugs/chocolate/cigarettes)
I was told by my doctor to lay off smoking or I would be sick in the future.


lay off (workers/staff)
- reduce the number of workers when business is bad
Six hundred workers at the automobile factory were recently laid off.


lay one`s cards on the table
- let someone know one`s position and feelings openly, deal honestly with something
He decided to lay his cards on the table and tell his boss about the job offer from the other company.


lay one's hands on (someone)
- do violence to someone, harm/hurt someone
The man said that if he ever lays hands on the person who stole his car he will take him directly to the police.


lay one's hands on (something)
- find something, acquire something
If I can lay my hands on a slide projector, I will show you the pictures of my holiday tonight.


lay out (money)
- spend or pay some money
My friend will have to lay out a lot of money for his new apartment.


lay out (something)
- plan something
We will lay out our plan for the new building at the next meeting.


to lay over
- to arrive somewhere and wait some time before continuing a journey
We were told that we will have to lay over in London for nine hours before we go on to Kenya.


lay (someone) to rest
- to bury someone
We laid my uncle to rest in a nice ceremony last night.


lay (something) on (someone)
- direct blame or guilt on someone
The company tried to lay the computer problems on one of the managers.


lay (something) on the line
- speak directly and firmly about something
The librarian finally had to lay it on the line and told everyone not to bring drinks into the library.


lay (something) to rest
- get rid of something, put something away permanently, stop
They have been trying to lay to rest the rumors about the financial problems in the company.


lay the blame on (someone or something)
- blame someone or something
We laid the blame on my friend for making us late for the concert.


lay up (a vessel)
- take a vessel out of active service, put a boat in a boat dock or a garage
The weather was getting cold so they decided to lay up their boat for the winter.


lay up (something)
- collect a supply of something, save something for future use, store something
We are planning to lay up some canned fruit for the winter.


lay waste (to something)
- destroy and leave something in ruins, wreck something
The army troops laid waste to the enemy territory.


.



layaway plan
- a plan in which someone pays part of some money that is owed and then pays the rest later and the store keeps the item until the full price has been paid
I decided to buy the television set on the department store`s layaway plan.



lead a dog`s life
- live a hard life, work hard and be treated unkindly
He says that he has been leading a dog`s life since he started his new job.


lead off
- begin, start, open
The golfer was the first to lead off in the tournament.


lead (someone) by the nose
- have full control of someone, make or persuade someone to do what you want
He isn`t very aggressive and always lets his boss lead him by the nose.


lead (someone) down the garden path
- deceive someone
The woman was leading her boyfriend down the garden path when she promised to marry him.


lead (someone) on
- insincerely encourage someone
I think my friend was leading me on when he told me about the new job.


lead (someone) on a merry chase
- lead someone on a chase with no purpose
The criminal led the police on a merry chase before they finally arrested him.


lead (someone) to believe (something)
- imply something to someone
The salesman led me to believe that he would be able to deliver the product within a week.


lead (someone) to do (something)
- cause someone to do something
The loud scream from the dining room led the chef to ruin his main dish of the evening.


lead/live the life of Riley
- live an easy life of luxury, live a pleasant life
My father has been leading the life of Riley since he retired from his job.


lead the way
- go first and show others how to go somewhere, guide someone
I had to lead the way because nobody knew where the new office was located.


lead up to (something)
- prepare the way for something
The concerts in the park were leading up to the final band contest of the music festival.


.



a leading question
- a question that suggests the kind of answer that you want to hear
The lawyer asked the man a leading question when he asked him why he had lied about the money. He had never lied about money.


leaf through (something)
- look through a book/magazine/newspaper without reading it in detail
I leafed through several magazines while I was sitting in the doctor's office.


leak out (something)
- disclose special/secret information to the press
The information about the illegal donations were leaked out to the press.


lean on (someone)
- pressure someone by blackmail or threats of physical violence to make him or her do something
The gang decided to lean on the small shop owner to get him to sell his property.


lean over backwards (to do something or to help someone)
- do everything possible to please someone
My cousin leaned over backwards to help my father when he was sick.


lean toward (doing something)
- tend toward doing something
At the moment we are leaning toward buying a laptop computer rather than a desktop computer.


leap to conclusions
- decide something without having all the facts
Our teacher leaped to conclusions when she accused the boy of breaking the window.


learn (something) by heart
- memorize something
I quickly learned my library card number by heart.


learn (something) by rote
- memorize something without thinking about what is being learned
The children learned the material by rote but they didn't really understand it.


learn (something) from the bottom up
- learn something thoroughly from the beginning
The young man learned about the company from the bottom up before his father retired.


learn (something) the hard way
- learn something by experience (often something unpleasant)
The young man learned things the hard way when he was sent to jail for stealing the computer.


learn the ropes
- learn how to do a job
He is a new employee and is still learning the ropes.


learn to live with (something)
- learn to adapt to something unpleasant or painful
My mother and father must learn to live with not having a supermarket next door to them.


least of all
- the least, of smallest importance
I don't like any of the choices offered, least of all the one that we were forced to choose.


leave a bad taste in one`s mouth
- leave a bad impression, make one feel disgusted
The way that the company fired the workers left a bad taste in everyone`s mouth.


leave a lot to be desired
- be inadequate
The job performance of the new employee leaves a lot to be desired.


leave no stone unturned
- try in every way to do something, do everything possible
The police left no stone unturned when they were looking for the little girl who was lost.


leave one to one's fate
- abandon someone to whatever may happen
The tour was suddenly canceled and we were left to our fate regarding an attempt to get our money refunded.


leave one's mark on (someone or something)
- affect the behavior and performance of another person or of something
The former president left his mark on the way that the company was run for many years after he retired.


leave oneself wide open for (something)
- fail to protect oneself from criticism or ridicule
The actions of our manager left him wide open for criticism from everybody in our company.


leave (someone) alone
- to not disturb someone
"Please leave me alone so I can finish this essay."


leave (someone or something) behind
- leave someone or something somewhere
I left my coat behind in the restaurant.


leave (someone) flat
- fail to entertain or stimulate someone, leave someone with no money
My friend's attempt at making a joke left everyone in the room flat.


leave (someone) for dead
- abandon someone as being dead
The hiker was left for dead when the rescue group could find no indication of where he was.


leave (someone) high and dry
- leave someone helpless
The employees were left high and dry when the company went out of business.


leave (someone) holding the bag
- leave someone to take the blame for something
My friend left me holding the bag when he ran away from the accident.


leave (someone or something) in (someone's) hands
- give someone control of or responsibility for someone or something
I left the planning for the barbecue in my father's hands.


leave (someone) in peace
- stop bothering someone
The woman was happy when her family went out and left her in peace for several hours.


leave (someone) in the lurch
- desert or leave someone alone and in trouble, refuse to help or support someone
My coworker left me in the lurch when he didn`t come and help me as he had promised earlier in the day.


leave (someone) out in the cold
- exclude someone
We made an effort not to leave my friend out in the cold when we were planning the birthday party.


leave (something) hanging (in the air)
- leave something undecided or unsettled
Whether or not they will be leaving next year was left hanging in the air at the end of the meeting.


leave (something) on
- leave something running or operating
I always leave the lights on when I am working around the house.


leave (something) open
- leave a date or time unscheduled
I plan to leave next Wednesday open so that I can meet my friend for lunch.


leave (something) out
- omit something
He told me about the accident but he left out some of the main points.


leave/let well enough alone
- be satisfied with something that is good enough
"You should leave well enough alone and be happy with your work schedule the way it is."


leave word with (someone)
- leave a message with someone
I left word with my father to have my mother phone me tonight.


.



a left-handed compliment
- an ambiguous compliment interpreted as offensive
He gave her a left-handed compliment when he said that her dyed hair looked nice.


a leg man
- someone who performs messenger services, an errand boy
He was working as a leg man for the motion picture company.


not have a leg to stand on
- not have a firm foundation of facts, not have the facts to support one`s claims
She doesn`t have a leg to stand on with her excuses for not finishing her work.


leg work
- routine work (that often involves walking)
He was forced to do all of the leg work for the meeting because his assistant was sick.


lend an ear (to someone)
- listen to someone
I was asked to lend an ear to my friend so he could tell me about his problems.


lend color to (something)
- provide an interesting accompaniment for something
The beautiful background to the orchestra helped to lend color to the musical performance.


lend (oneself/itself) to (something)
- be adaptable to something
The small hall does not lend itself to having a very good musical performance.


lend (someone) a hand
- give someone some help
I asked my friend to lend me a hand to move the furniture.


less than pleased
- not pleased
My father was less than pleased when I returned his car three hours late last night.


lesser (of the two)
- the smaller one of the two
We chose the lesser of the two cars when we went to the car rental agency.


lesser of two evils
- the less bad thing of two bad things
The voters had to choose the lesser of two evils when they had to choose between the two candidates for mayor.



let alone (something)
- not to mention something, to say nothing of something
I don`t have enough money to go to a movie let alone go on a holiday.


let bygones be bygones
- forget about problems that happened in the past
"We need to let bygones be bygones and forget about our past differences."


let down one`s hair
- relax, act freely and naturally
Everybody at the party let down their hair and had a good time.


let go of (something)
- release something
He let go of the rope and the suitcase fell off the luggage rack.


let go with (something)
- shout something out
The child let go with a loud scream when he saw the dog.


let grass grow under one`s feet
- be idle, be lazy, waste time
He is always working hard and never lets grass grow under his feet.


let it all hang out
- let the truth be known, be open about something
She decided to let it all hang out and tell her friend about her problems with her boyfriend.


let it go/lay
- forget about it, leave it alone
"You should let it go and stop worrying about what she did to you last year."


let it rip
- let something go at full speed, take off all restraints
He let it rip and left the shore in the motorboat.


let off steam
- get rid of your extra energy or strong feelings by doing some activity
He was very angry at first but he has let off steam and has calmed down now.


let on
- to reveal, to inform
"Please don`t let on that you saw me at the movie last night."


let on
- try to make people believe something, pretend
He tried to let on that he didn`t want the job but actually he did.


let one's emotions show
- be emotional (where it is not appropriate)
The mayor let his emotions show when his plan for the new stadium was defeated by the city council members.


let oneself go
- become less constrained
I went to the party and let myself go for the evening.


let oneself/something go
- not take care of oneself/something
The woman has been letting herself go recently and doesn't even bother to comb her hair regularly


let out (clothes/a rope)
- make clothes longer or looser, allow a rope to slip out little by little
I had to go to the tailors to have them let out my sports jacket.
We let out the rope as the boat left the shore.


let out (some kind of sound)
- make some kind of noise or sound
The dog let out a strange sound before running out of the house.


let out (someone)
- dismiss or be dismissed (from class or practice etc.)
Everyone was let out of class early yesterday because of the bad weather.


let out (something)
- allow to go out or escape
I let out our dog this morning and he hasn`t come home yet.


let out (something)
- allow to be known, tell
They let out the details of the restructuring plan late last night so we haven`t had time to talk about them yet.


let sleeping dogs lie
- don`t make trouble if you don`t have to
"You should let sleeping dogs lie and not worry about what your friend said to you last summer."


let (someone) down
- fail to do as well as expected, disappoint someone
He let his parents down when he failed the university entrance exams.


let (someone) down easy
- tell someone some disappointing news in a way that makes them feel good
I will talk to her tomorrow and try and let her down easy about her not getting the promotion.


let (someone) go
- discharge someone from a job, fire someone
The company has decided to let several hundred workers go in order to become profitable again.


let (someone) have it
- hit someone hard, scold someone angrily
He let the other man have it when they had a fight on the bus.


let (someone) have it (with both barrels)
- attack someone verbally
The woman let her husband have it when he came home late from work without phoning.


let (someone) in on (something)
- tell someone a secret
We let our friend in on our secret plan to sell our apartment and buy a house.


let (someone) know (about something)
- tell/inform someone about something
"Let me know when you are ready to go to the movie."


let (someone) off
- permit someone to leave a car/train/boat/plane or other transportation
The train stopped at a very small town and let the young woman off.


let (someone) off (easy)
- release someone with little or no punishment
The judge let the man off easy because he seemed to be sincere in his apology for his crime.


let (someone) off the hook
- excuse someone from a penalty or promise
He let me off the hook and I didn`t have to stay after work and help clean the office.


let (something) go
- pay no attention to something, neglect something
She seems to be letting her appearance go since she lost her job.


let (something) go
- allow something to pass, do nothing about something
Although I was angry at his remark I decided to let it go.


let (something) loose
- set something free, release something being held
They decided to let the injured bird loose in the park.


let (something) off
- discharge (a gun), explode something, release something
The children let off many firecrackers during the festival.


let (something) pass
- let something go unnoticed or unchallenged
I didn't like what my friend said to me but I decided to let it pass.


let (something) ride
- continue without changing a situation
We should forget about the recent problems at work and let the whole matter ride.


let (something) slide
- neglect something
Recently, I have been very busy and I have let some important work slide.


let (something) slide by
- forget or miss an important time or date
I let my girlfriend's birthday slide by without noticing it.


let (something) slip by
- forget or miss an important time or date
We let my parent's wedding anniversary slip by without doing anything at all.


let (something) slip (out)
- tell a secret by accident
I let the date of the wedding slip out by mistake at the dinner party.


let the cat out of the bag
- reveal a secret
"Don`t let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party for our boss."


let the chance slip by
- lose the opportunity for something
My coworker let the chance slip by to learn a lot from his old job.


let the chips fall where they may
- not worry about the results of your actions
I am not going to worry about whether the company will go bankrupt or not. I will let the chips fall where they may.


let things slide
- ignore the things that one is supposed to do
Recently, I have let things slide and my apartment is very messy.


let up
- become less or weaker, become slower or stop
The rain let up around noon so we were able to go back outside.


let up on (someone or something)
- stop working too hard, take the pressure off someone or something
He was told by his doctor to let up on his work schedule or he will become sick.


let well enough alone
- leave things as they are
I decided to let well enough alone and not ask my supervisor for extra time off.


.



level (something) at (someone)
- direct something (a remark/criticism) at someone
My friend began to level criticism at her boss for some of the things that she thought were wrong in the company.


level with (someone)
- be honest with someone
I tried to level with my friend and tell her what I thought about her new hairstyle.


a license to (do something)
- the permission/right/chance to do something
When my uncle got the contract to sell food at the stadium it was a license to print money.


not a lick of work
- not even a small amount of work (usually used in the negative)
The children did not do a lick of work all morning when the teacher was away.


lick one's lips
- show eagerness or pleasure about a future event
I began to lick my lips when I heard about the chance to go on the training course.


lick/whip (something) into shape
- put someone or something into good condition
The young man joined the military and was quickly whipped into shape.


lie/lay down on the job
- do a job poorly or not at all
The workers must have decided to lie down on the job because nothing was finished when the supervisor arrived.


lie fallow
- remain unused (a field or land lies fallow)
The farmer let the field lie fallow for one growing season.


lie in state
- after death a famous person (usually a political leader) sometimes lies in a state of honor in an open coffin so the public can see his or her body
The President lay in state for three days after his death.


lie in wait
- watch from hiding in order to attack or surprise someone
The police decided to lie in wait for the bank robbers to appear at the bank.


lie low
- stay quietly out of sight, try not to attract attention
"The man is very angry at you so I think that you should lie low for a few days until he calms down."


lie through one's teeth
- tell lies
The woman will lie through her teeth in order to get what she wants.


life of Riley
- an easy life of luxury, a pleasant life
My father has been living the life of Riley since he retired from his job last year.


life of the party
- a person who is lively and helps make a party fun and exciting
My friend is the life of the party and everybody loves to see her.


not lift a finger/hand
- not do anything to help anyone
Although he is a nice person he will not lift a finger to help anyone else.


light into (someone)
- scold someone
The woman lit into her child when he came home from school late.


light into (something)
- devour/eat something
As soon as we arrived home we wanted to light into our dinner immediately.


light out (for somewhere)
- depart quickly for somewhere
We woke up early and prepared to light out for our first day of adventure.


light up
- suddenly look pleased and happy
As soon as I told my cousin about our holiday plans his face lit up and he started smiling.



like a bat out of hell
- with great speed and force
The boy left the theater like a bat out of hell.


like a bolt out of the blue
- suddenly and without warning
It was like a bolt out of the blue when my father said that he was going to change jobs.


like a bump on a log
- unresponsive
The boy spent the morning at home like a bump on a log.


like a fish out of water
- appear to be completely out of place somewhere
I was like a fish out of water when I went to the party with my cousin.


like a house on fire
- rapidly and with force
We worked like a house on fire in order to finish our work before our vacation.


like a sitting duck
- unsuspecting and unaware
The robber was like a sitting duck when the police arrested him as he waited for his partner to leave the bank.


like a three-ring circus
- chaotic/exciting/busy
The shopping center was like a three-ring circus when we went shopping on Saturday afternoon.


like a ton of bricks
- strongly or forcefully, a surprise to someone
The news of his retirement hit me like a ton of bricks.


like an open book
- someone or something that is easy to understand
Our boss is like an open book and it is easy to know what he is thinking most of the time.


like crazy
- very fast, with great energy
They were running like crazy but still they couldn`t catch their friend.


like father, like son
- a son usually acts like his father
"Like father, like son," the man said as he watched the boy playing baseball exactly like his father.


like greased lightning
- very fast
The horse ran out of the barn and down the road like greased lightning.


like hell
- with much effort and energy, never, not permissable
I had to run like hell this morning in order to catch the bus for work.
"Like hell I am going to lend that woman any more money."


like it or lump it
- either accept something or forget it
I offered the woman a fair price for the TV and told her that she could either like it or lump it.


Like it's such a big deal!
- It really isn't so important
"Like it's such a big deal!", the boy said when he told his friend about his lost book.


like lambs to the slaughter
- quietly do something without realizing the danger/difficulties of the situation
The local basketball team went like lambs to the slaughter to meet the best team in the country.


like looking for a needle in a haystack
- engaged in a hopeless search
Looking for my house keys at the beach was like looking for a needle in a haystack.


like mad
- very fast, with great energy
I worked like mad but I was unable to finish the project by noon as I had hoped.


like nothing on earth
- very unusual
The performance by our neighbor was like nothing on earth and surprised everyone who saw it.


like one of the family
- as if someone were a member of one's family
My sister's friend is like one of the family and we invite her to come with us wherever we go.


like/love to hear oneself talk
- enjoy talking rather than listening to other people
My friend likes to hear herself talk and it is very tiring to be around her.


like two peas in a pod
- very close or intimate
My two friends from school are like two peas in a pod and are always together.


like water off a duck`s back
- without effect, without changing one`s feelings or opinion
He always criticizes his friend but his friend ignores it so the criticism falls away like water off a duck`s back.


the likes of (someone)
- anyone like the person who you are talking about
I really don't enjoy spending time with the likes of my neighbor.


.



line of least resistance
- a course of action that will cause the least trouble or effort
It was the line of least resistance so we moved out of our apartment quickly rather than have problems with the manager that we could never resolve.


line one's own pockets
- make money for oneself in a dishonest way
The local politician had been lining his own pockets and did not win another election.


line up
- take places in a line or formation, stand one behind another
We were forced to line up in front of the movie theater for over one hour.


line up (someone with someone)
- supply a person with a date/companion
We tried to line up my friend's sister with our friend but it was not a successful match.


line up (someone for something)
- arrange, schedule someone for something
We were unable to line up a speaker for Sunday evening so we must cancel the meeting.


line up (something with something)
- adjust two things correctly
The carpenter lined up the two pieces of wood before he nailed them together.


lion's share (of something)
- the larger share of something
I gave the lion's share of my old CD collection to my neighbor.


lip service
- support shown by words only and not by action
They paid lip service to the proposal but I don`t think that they really support it.


listen to reason
- yield to a reasonable argument
The woman would not listen to reason when she went to complain about the coat that she had bought.


litmus test
- a test that tries to determine the state of one important question
The judge's opinion about the tax issue was the litmus test that was used to see if he would be able to work with the government.


a little bird told me
- learned from a mysterious or secret source
A little bird told me that I would be getting a nice present from my boyfriend next week.


a little bit
- a small amount
I only had a little bit of time so I didn't talk to my mother about her recent problems.


little by little
- gradually
He broke his leg while skiing but little by little it is getting better.


a little frog in a big pond
- an unimportant person in a large group or organization
He transferred to the head office but he is a little frog in a big pond and nobody knows him now.


little pitchers have big ears
- little children often overhear things that they are not supposed to hear
"Little pitchers have big ears," the woman said when she saw her daughter standing at the door listening as she talked to her husband.


live a life of (something)
- have a life of a certain quality or style
My friend has been living a life of luxury since he won much money in the lottery.


live and learn
- increase one's knowledge by experience
I will have to live and learn and try not to eat so much food that I almost get sick.


live and let live
- not interfere with other people's business or preferences
Our neighbor believes that one should live and let live and she never complains or criticizes other people who live around her.


live beyond one's means
- spend more money than one can afford
The couple have been living beyond their means and are now in serious financial difficulty.


live by one's wits
- survive by being clever
The boy lives by his wits and never has any problems dealing with life.


live down (something)
- remove blame or distrust by good conduct, cause something to be forgiven by not repeating it
Our supervisor is trying to live down his reputation of being a hard person to work for.


live for the moment
- live without planning for the future
The young man lives for the moment and has no money saved for the future.


live from hand to mouth
- live on little money and in poor circumstances
Her brother is an artist and must live from hand to mouth because he has no money.


live happily ever after
- live in happiness after a specific event
It was a very beautiful movie and in the end everybody lived happily ever after.


live high on/off the hog
- live very luxuriously or comfortably
He has been living high on the hog since he won the money in the lottery.


live in
- live at the place where one works
The young woman got a job where she could live in with a family with three children.


live in an ivory tower
- be unaware of the realities of everyday life
The university professor lives in an ivory tower and does not seem to understand what is going on in the world.


live it up
- have a good time
He likes to live it up every weekend when he gets paid.


live off the fat of the land
- grow and live on one's own food
The early pioneers went to the mountain valley and were able to live off the fat of the land.


live on borrowed time
- continue to live/operate longer than circumstances would suggest
My old car has been living on borrowed time for a long time now.


live out of a suitcase
- stay away from your home while travelling with only the belongings in your suitcase
I dislike my job because I am often away from home and must live out of a suitcase.


live (something) down
- overcome the shame or embarrassment of something
It was difficult for the woman to live down the embarrassment and shame of the fact that she had stolen some money at her job.


live through (something)
- endure something
The people in the town lived through one of the worst disasters in many years.


live up to one's end of the bargain
- do as was promised in a bargain
The young boy did not live up to his end of the bargain when he did not make an effort to finish his homework before watching television.


live up to (something)
- act according to something, fulfill expectations
He is trying very hard to live up to his reputation as a smart busnessman.


live within one's means
- spend no more money than one has
The young couple work hard to live within their means and they always have lots of money to spend.


the living end
- great, fantastic, the ultimate
My sister said that her new boyfriend was the living end.


loaded
- have lots of money
My new boss is really loaded.


lock horns with (someone)
- get into an argument with someone
I locked horns with a woman who I work with and we had a big argument last week.


lock (something) in
- make something (such as a rate of interest) permanent over a period of time
We locked in the mortgage of our house for a period of five years because the interest rates were low.


lock, stock, and barrel
- everything
The small corner store went out of business and sold everything lock, stock, and barrel.


lock the barn door after the horse is stolen
- be careful or try to make something safe after it is too late
If you try and prevent a flood after the rains have started it is like locking the barn door after the horse is stolen.


lock (something) up
- to be assured of success
The candidate has already locked up the nomination to be a candidate in the next election.


long and the short of it
- all the facts, the whole story
I phoned my friend and he told me the long and the short of it regarding the reason why he got fired.


long face
- a sad look, a disappointed look
He had a long face when he came into work this morning. Something must have happened to him.


a long haul
- a long distance or trip
He is a long-haul trucker and is always out of town working.


the long haul
- a long period of time during which work continues or something is done
He has decided to stay here for the long haul and will not return to his home.


a long shot
- a bet or other risk taken though not likely to succeed
It was a long shot that he would get the job so he was very happy when he did get it.


look a gift horse in the mouth
- complain if a gift is not perfect
"Even if you don`t like the present from your company you shouldn`t complain. Remember, don`t look a gift horse in the mouth."


look after (someone)
- take care or attend to someone
She has been looking after her mother since her mother's recent illness.


look at (someone) cross-eyed
- look at someone provocatively
When the man in the bus looked at the other man cross-eyed they seemed like they were going to have a fight.


look at the world through rose-colored glasses
- see only the good things about something, be too optimistic
I told my friend to be more realistic and not to always look at the world through rose-colored glasses.


look down on (someone or something)
- regard someone or something with contempt or a feeling of superiority
My cousin looks down on the activities and life of most small towns.


look down one`s nose at (someone or something)
- show your dislike of someone or something
He always looks down his nose at the other members of his class.


look for (something)
- try to find something, hunt/search for something
She has been looking for her credit card all morning but she can`t find it.


look for (something to happen)
- think/expect that something is likely to happen
They are looking for our manager to become the next sales director of the company.


look for trouble
- do something that may cause trouble
The young boys spend every Saturday evening walking around and looking for trouble.


look forward to (something)
- anticipate something with pleasure
We have been looking forward to the concert for a long time.


look good on paper
- something appears to be a good plan (but maybe not in actual practice)
My supervisor's plan looks good on paper but in reality I don't think that it will be successful.


look high and low for (someone or something)
- look carefully in every possible place for someone or something
We looked high and low for my grandmother's hearing aide but we could not find it.


look in on (someone)
- go to see someone, make a short visit to someone, make a call on someone to see if they are doing well
"Could you please look in on the baby and see if she is sleeping."


look into (something)
- investigate or check something
They have been looking into the cause of the accident for many months.


look like a million dollars
- look well and prosperous, appear healthy and happy
He looked like a million dollars when I saw him at the party last weekend.


look like death warmed over
- look very ill
The elderly man looked like death warmed over when he went to the hospital.


look like (something)
- to predict something
It looks like it is going to rain this evening.


look like something the cat dragged in
- look very shabby or worn
My friend looked like something the cat dragged in when he arrived home from work last night.


look like the cat that ate/swallowed the canary
- seem very self-satisified, look like you have just had some kind of success
He looked like the cat that ate the canary when he came in with a smile on his face after receiving his special bonus.


look on
- be a spectator
There were many people who gathered to look on after the car accident.


look on (someone) as (something)
- view or think of someone as something
Everybody in our neighborhood looks on my neighbor as someone to talk to if they have a problem.


look out
- take care, be careful, be on guard
"Look out! There is a large truck coming down the highway."


look out for (someone)
- provide protection and care for someone
"Please look out for my sister when she stays with you this summer."


look out for (someone or something)
- be alert or watchful, keep looking for something
"Could you please look out for any old vinyl records that you may find."


look over (something)
- inspect/survey/examine something
"Please take some time to look over these documents before you sign them."


look (someone) in the eye/face
- face someone directly
I looked the man in the eye when I asked him to move his car out of my way.


look (someone) up
- seek and find someone
When I was in New York City I looked up my friend from university.


look the other way
- ignore something
Our boss looks the other way when his staff are one or two minutes late.


look to (someone)
- depend on someone, go to someone for help
My friend looks to his mother for help when he has a problem.


look to (something)
- attend to something, take care of something
She is a wonderful nurse and spends a great deal of time looking to the needs of her patients.


look up (something)
- to search for something in a dictionary or other book
I will look up my friend's name in the telephone book.
I looked up the word in the dictionary.


look up to (someone)
- think of someone as a good example to copy, respect someone
I look up to the president of our company as someone I would like to copy.


.



loom large (on the horizon)
- something that could be coming as a possible problem/danger/threat
A large increase in transportation costs is looming large on the horizon.


loose ends
- details that are not settled, things that are not finished
I have many loose ends to deal with before I go on my holidays.


lord it over (someone)
- act as the superior and master of someone, be bossy over someone
She likes to lord it over the other members of the staff since she became a supervisor.


lose face
- be embarrassed or ashamed by an error or failure, lose dignity
Our boss lost face when his employees decided not to support him during the meeting.


lose ground
- go backward, become weaker, not improve
The government has been losing ground in their fight against inflation.


lose heart
- become discouraged
The girl has begun to lose heart in her efforts to learn the piano.


lose one's cool
- lose one's temper
The saleswoman lost her cool during a meeting with the chief supplier.


lose one's grip
- lose a secure grasp or hold of something
The rock climber lost his grip and fell off the side of the cliff.


lose one's grip
- lose control of a situation
I think that our boss is losing his grip in his ability to control the workplace.


lose one's head over (someone or something)
- become confused or overexcited about someone or something
The young woman lost her head when she discovered that she had won the swimming competition.


lose one`s marbles
- go crazy or act irrationally
The man seems to have lost his marbles and doesn`t make any sense at all.


lose one`s shirt
- lose a lot of money
I think that he is going to lose his shirt on the new business venture.


lose one`s temper
- become angry
He lost his temper when the child broke the expensive dish.


lose one's touch (with someone or something)
- lose one's ability to handle someone or something
I think that the horse trainer is losing her touch with the horses that she is training.


lose one's train of thought
- forget what one was talking or thinking about
I lost my train of thought when I was talking on the telephone to my friend.


lose one`s way
- become lost
The first time that she went to London she lost her way.


lose oneself (in something)
- become deeply involved in something
The violin player always loses herself in her music when she is giving a concert.


lose out on (something)
- fail to get or take part in something
He lost out on a chance to go to Mexico City because he was too busy with other things.


lose out to (someone or something)
- fail to win, miss first place in a contest
Our team lost out to the other team in the soccer tournament.


lose sight of (something)
- forget something, fail to see something
"Don't lose sight of the main reason that you are planning to take the class."


lose sleep over (someone or something)
- worry about someone or something so that you can't sleep
I have been losing sleep over my inability to solve my recent problems at work.


lose touch with (someone)
- fail to keep in contact or communication with someone
I lost touch with the people who I worked with at my summer job.


lose track of (someone or something)
- lose contact with someone or something
I have lost track of many of my friends from high school.


.



lost-and-found
- a place that handles lost items that other people find
I went to the lost-and-found department at the train station to look for my umbrella.


lost and gone forever
- permanently lost
My father's pocket knife is lost and gone forever and we will probably never see it again.


a lost cause
- a hopeless matter
Trying to change the work habits of our secretary is a lost cause. She will never change.


lost in thought
- busy thinking
I was lost in thought when my friend phoned me last night.


lost on (someone)
- wasted or having no effect on someone
My attempt at telling a joke was lost on my former girlfriend.


loud and clear
- clear and distinct
I could hear the announcement loud and clear.


a loudmouth
- a noisy, boastful or foolish talker
He is a loudmouth and nobody likes him.


louse up
- throw into confusion, make a mess of something, spoil something
She loused up her job interview and has no chance to get the job now.


lousy with (something)
- something is in abundance, many/much of something
The hotel room was lousy with cockroaches.


love at first sight
- love from the first time that two people see each other
It was love at first sight when the young couple met at the photography class.


lovely weather for ducks
- rainy weather
"Lovely weather for ducks," I said when I met my neighbor walking in the rain.


lover`s lane
- a hidden road or walkway where lovers walk or park their cars in the evening
After the movie we drove to the local lover`s lane.


low man on the totem pole
- the least important person
I am the low man on the totem pole in our company and I have no power at all.


the lowdown
- the inside facts of a matter, the total truth
I met with the speaker after the presentation and he gave me the lowdown on the new computer equipment.


lower one's sights
- set one's goals lower than they were
My cousin did not graduate from university and will have to lower his sights when he begins to look for a job.


lower one's voice
- speak more softly
The usher in the movie theater asked me to lower my voice.


lower oneself to (some level)
- bring oneself down to a lower level of behavior
I do not want to lower myself to the same level as my very incompetent supervisor.


lower the boom on (someone)
- scold or punish someone severely
Our teacher lowered the boom on the students who were late with their homework.


luck out
- to suddenly get lucky even though it looks like you won`t succeed
He lucked out with the concert tickets and was able to buy four of them.


one's lucky stars
- a certain star or planet which is thought to bring a person good luck and success in life
You can count your lucky stars that you don`t have to work on a rainy day like today.
lull before the storm
- a quiet period just before a period of great activity or excitement
It was the lull before the storm when the school principal walked into the assembly hall to speak to the students about the new policy.


lull (someone) into a false sense of security
- lead someone to believe that all is well before attacking them
The residents of the small community were lulled into a false sense of security when there were no crimes for several years.


lull (someone) to sleep
- cause someone to fall asleep
The mother spent a long time trying to lull her young baby to sleep.


lunatic fringe
- the more extreme members of a group
A small lunatic fringe of protesters caused many problems at the convention.