[liquid assets]{n. phr.} Those belongings that can be easily converted into cash. •/Herb asked for a loan and the bank manager told him to bring in proof of all his liquid assets./
[liquor up]{v. phr.}, {slang} To drink an excessive amount of liquor before engaging in some activity as if comparing oneself to a car that needs to be filled before a journey. •/Joe always liquors up before he takes Sue for a dance./
[list] See: SUCKER LIST, WAITING LIST.
[listen in]{v.} 1. To listen to a radio broadcast. •/We found them listening in to the president’s speech./ 2. To listen to the talk of others, often to talk that is not intended for your ears; eavesdrop. •/When Mary talked to her boyfriend on the telephone, her little brother listened in./
[listen to reason]{v. phr.} To listen to and think about advice that you are given. •/Joe was stubborn and would not listen to reason./ •/It will save you a lot of trouble if you will just listen to reason./
[litterbug]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A person who leaves garbage in a public place, such as a park or beach or a street; one who litters. •/Don’t be a litterbug; keep the city clean!/
[little] See: A LITTLE, A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING, GREAT OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW, LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND, MAKE LITTLE OF, NOT A LITTLE, QUITE A LITTLE or QUITE A LITTLE BIT, THINK LITTLE OF, TWIST AROUND ONE’S LITTLE FINGER.
[little does one think]{v. phr.} To not realize; not expect; be hardly aware of. •/Little did Ed think that very soon he would be the father of twin daughters./
[little folk] or [little people] See: WEE FOLK.
[little frog in a big pond] or [small frog in a big pond] {n. phr.} An unimportant person in a large group or organization. •/In a large company, even a fairly successful man is likely to feel like a little frog in a big pond./ •/When Bill transferred to a larger high school, he found himself a small frog in a big pond./ Contrast: BIG FROG IN A SMALL POND.
[little pitchers have big ears] Little children often overhear things they are not supposed to hear, or things adults do not expect they would notice. — A proverb. •/Be especially careful not to swear in front of little children. Little pitchers have big ears./
[little theater]{n.} A theater, usually with nonprofessional actors and actresses, which presents plays more for personal pleasure and practice than for profit. •/Little theater groups are active in all parts of the United States./ •/Many famous actors began in little theaters./
[lit up like a Christmas tree]{adj. phr.}, {informal} To be drunk. •/On New Year’s Eve Ned was lit up like a Christmas tree./ Compare: THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND.
[live] See: PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW STONES.
[live and learn] You learn more new things the longer you live; you learn by experience. — A proverb. •/"Live and learn," said Mother. "I never knew that the Indians once had a camp where our house is."/ •/Janet made her new dress from cheap cloth, and when she washed it, it shrank and was too little. Live and learn./
[live and let live] To live in the way you prefer and let others live as they wish without being bothered by you. •/Father scolds Mother because she wears her hair in curlers and Mother scolds Father because he smokes a smelly pipe. Grandfather says it’s her hair and his pipe; live and let live./ Compare: GIVE AND TAKE(1), LET BYGONES BE BYGONES, FORGIVE AND FORGET.
[live down]{v.} To remove (blame, distrust or unfriendly laughter) by good conduct; cause (a mistake or fault) to be forgiven or forgotten by not repeating it. •/John’s business failure hurt him for a long time, but in the end he lived it down./ •/Frank was rather a bad boy, but he lived it down as he grew up./ •/Sandra called her principal the wrong name at the banquet, in front of everyone, and she thought she would never live it down./
[live from hand to mouth]{v. phr.} To live on little money and spend it as fast as it comes in; live without saving for the future; have just enough. •/Mr. Johnson got very little pay, and the family lived from hand to mouth when he had no job./ •/These Indians live from hand to mouth on berries, nuts, and roots./
[live high off the hog] or [eat high on the hog] See: EAT (LIVE) HIGH ON THE HOG or EAT (LIVE) HIGH OFF THE HOG.
[live in] or [room in] {v.}, {informal} To live in the school you attend or the place where you work. •/Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college./ •/Many women advertise for mother’s helpers to room in with families and help take care of children./
[live in a fool’s paradise]{v. phr.} To deceive oneself; tell oneself unreal stories. •/His information is based on a lot of misunderstanding — the poor guy is living in a fool’s paradise./
[live in an ivory tower]{v. phr.} To be blind to real life; live an unrealistically sheltered existence. •/Professor Nebelmacher has no idea of the cost of living; he lives in an ivory tower./
[live in the fast lane]{v. phr.}, {informal} To live a full and very active life pursuing wealth and success. •/They have been living in the fast lane ever since they arrived in New York City./
[live it up]{v. phr.}, {informal} To pursue pleasure; enjoy games or night life very much; have fun at places of entertainment. •/Joe had had a hard winter in lonesome places; now he was in town living it up./ •/The western cowboys usually went to town on Saturdays to live it up./
[live off someone]{v. phr.} To be supported by someone. •/Although Eric is already 40 years old, he has no job and continues to live off his elderly parents./
[live off the fat of the land] See: FAT OF THE LAND.
[live on borrowed time]{v. phr.} To live or last longer than was expected. •/Ever since his operation, Harvey felt he was living on borrowed time./ •/Mr. Brown was living on borrowed time because a year ago the doctors had told him he would only live six months./
[live out]{v.} 1. To finish (a period of time); spend. •/Smith lived out the year in the North as he had agreed, but then moved to the South again./ •/After retiring, John and his wife lived out their lives in Florida./ 2. To last through; endure to the end of. •/We lived out the winter on short ration./ •/He lived out the earthquake, but his house was destroyed./
[live out of a suitcase]{v. phr.} To have no permanent residence or a permanent place to hang one’s clothes. •/When Jennifer accepted her new job, she had no idea that she would have to live out of a suitcase for six months./
[live up to]{v.} To act according to; come up to; agree with; follow. •/So far as he could, John had always tried to live up to the example he saw in Lincoln./ •/Bob was a man who lived up to his promises./ •/The new house didn’t live up to expectations./
[live wire]{n. phr.} 1. An electrically charged wire, usually uninsulated. •/The electrician was severely burned by the live wire./ 2. An alert or energetic person. •/To sell the new merchandise, our company needs several salespeople who are live wires./
[living daylights] See: BEAT THE --- OUT OF, KNOCK THE --- OUT OF.
[living end]{adj.}, {slang} Great; fantastic; the ultimate. •/That show we saw last night was the living end./
[load] See: GET A LOAD OF.
[loaded for bear]{adj. phr.}, {slang} Ready for action; prepared and eager. •/Frank liked the new merchandise and as he set out on his rounds as a salesman, he felt really loaded for bear./ •/The football team arrived Friday noon, loaded for bear./
[load the bases] or [fill the bases] {v. phr.} To get men on all three bases in baseball. •/The Mets loaded the bases with two singles and a base on balls./ •/Don hit a home run with the bases loaded./
[loaf] See: HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE or HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NO BREAD.
[loan shark]{n. phr.} A money lender who charges excessive interest. •/Why go to a loan shark when you can borrow from the bank at the legal rate?/
[local yokel]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s hand radio jargon} City police officer, as opposed to state police or highway patrol. •/There’s a local yokel westbound on the move./
[lock] See: SCALP LOCK.
[lock, stock, and barrel]{n. phr.} Everything; completely. •/The robbers emptied the whole house — lock, stock, and barrel./ Compare: HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER.
[lock the barn door after the horse is stolen] To be careful or try to make something safe when it is too late. — A proverb. •/After Mary failed the examination, she said she would study hard after that. She wanted to lock the barn door after the horse was stolen./
[lock up]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be assured of success. •/How did your math test go? — I locked it up, I think./
[lodge a complaint]{v. phr.} To make a complaint; complain. •/If our neighbors don’t stop this constant noise, I will have to lodge a complaint with the management./
[loggerhead] See: AT LOGGERHEADS.
[loin] See: GIRD UP ONE’S LOINS.
[lone wolf]{n.} A man who likes to work or live alone. •/The man who paints a picture or establishes a business is often a lone wolf; so is the criminal outlaw./ •/Jones is a good pitcher, but he is a lone wolf./
[long] See: AT LAST or AT LONG LAST, BEFORE LONG, COME A LONG WAY, IN THE LONG RUN, NO LONGER, SO LONG, THE LONG AND THE SHORT.
[long and short of it]{n. phr.} The essence; the whole story in a nutshell. •/The long and short of it is that he is lazy and doesn’t really want to find a job./
[long ball]{n.} A baseball hit far enough to be a home run. •/The White Sox need a player who can hit the long ball./
[long face]{n.} A sad look; disappointed look. •/He told the story with a long face./ — Often used in the phrase "pull a long face". •/Don’t pull a long face when I tell you to go to bed./
[longhair(1)] 1. {n.}, {slang} A male hippie. •/Who’s that longhair? — It’s Joe./ 2. An intellectual who prefers classical music to jazz or acid rock. •/Catwallender is a regular longhair; he never listens to modern jazz./
[longhair(2)]{adj.}, {slang} Pertaining to classical art forms, primarily in dancing and music. •/Cut out that longhair Mozart Symphony and put on a decent pop record!/
[long haul] or [long pull] {n.}, {informal} 1. A long distance or trip. •/It is a long haul to drive across the country./ Contrast SHORT HAUL. 2. A long length of time during which work continues or something is done; a long time of trying. •/A boy crippled by polio may learn to walk again, but it may be a long haul./ — Often used in the phrase "over the long haul". •/Over the long haul, an expensive pair of shoes may save you money./ Contrast: SHORT HAUL.
[long pull] See: LONG HAUL. [long shot] {n.} 1. A bet or other risk taken though not likely to succeed. •/The horse was a long shot, but it came in and paid well./ •/Jones was a long shot for mayor./ •/The business long shot that succeeds often pays extremely well./ 2. See: BY A LONG SHOT.
[long-winded]{adj.} Tedious; overlong; given to too much talking. •/Everyone was bored by the old man’s long-winded stories./
[look] See: DIRTY LOOK.
[look after] also [see after] {v.} To watch over; attend to. •/John’s mother told him to look after his younger brother./ •/When he went to Europe, Mr. Jenkins left his son to see after the business./ Syn.: TAKE CARE OF(1). Compare: LOOK OUT(3).
[look a gift horse in the mouth] To complain if a gift is not perfect. — A proverb. Usually used with a negative. •/John gave Joe a baseball but Joe complained that the ball was old. His father told him not to look a gift horse in the mouth./
