[know something inside out]{v. phr.} To be extremely well conversantwith something; be an expert in; have thorough knowledge of. •/Tom knows thestock market inside out./

[know the ropes] See: THE ROPES.

[know the score] See: THE SCORE.

[know what’s what] See: KNOW SOMETHING INSIDE OUT.

[know which side one’s bread is buttered on]{v. phr.} To know who canhelp you and try to please him; know what is for your own gain. •/Dick wasalways polite to the boss; he knew which side his bread was buttered on./

[know which way to turn] See: NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN.

[knuckle] See: BUCKLE DOWN or KNUCKLE DOWN, RAP ONE’S KNUCKLES.

[knuckle down] See: BUCKLE DOWN.

[knuckle under]{v. phr.} To do something because you are forced to doit. •/Bobby refused to knuckle under to the bully./ Compare: GIVE IN.

L

[labor movement]{n.} Groups which form, strengthen, and increasemembership in labor unions. •/His father was connected with the labormovement in the 1920’s./

[labor of love]{n. phr.} Something done for personal pleasure and notpay or profit. •/Building the model railroad was a labor of love for theretired engineer./

[labor the point] See: BELABOR THE POINT.

[labor under]{v. phr.} To be the victim of; suffer from. •/Ken isobviously laboring under the delusion that Jennifer will marry him out oflove./

[lace into] or [tie into] {v.}, {informal} To attack physicallyor with words; begin to hit or criticize. •/The boxer laced into hisopponent./ •/The critics laced into the new movie./ Syn.: LAY INTO, RIPINTO. Compare: GIVE IT TO.

[ladies' room]{n. phr.} A public toilet and restroom for women.•/Can you please tell me where the ladies' room is?/

[lady friend]{n.} 1. A woman friend. •/His aunt stays with a ladyfriend in Florida during the winter./ 2. A woman who is the lover of a man. — Used by people trying to appear more polite, but not often used by carefulspeakers. •/The lawyer took his lady friend to dinner./ Syn.: GIRLFRIEND.

[lady-killer]{n.}, {informal} 1. Any man who has strong sex appealtoward women. •/Joe is a regular lady-killer./ 2. A man who relentlesslypursues amorous conquests, is successful at it, and then abandons hisheartbroken victims. •/The legendary Don Juan of Spain is the most famouslady-killer of recorded history./ Compare: LADY’S MAN.

[lady of the house]{n. phr.} Female owner, or wife of the owner, ofthe house; the hostess. •/"Dinner is served," the lady of the house announcedto her guests./

[lady’s man]{n.} A man or boy who likes to be with women or girls verymuch and is popular with them. •/Charlie is quite a lady’s man now./

[lake] See: GO JUMP IN THE LAKE.

[laid out]{adj.} Arranged. •/Her house is very conveniently laidout./

[laid up]{adj.} Sick; confined to bed. •/I was laid up for a coupleof weeks with an ear infection./

[lam] See: ON THE LAM.

[lamb] See: GOD TEMPERS THE WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB, IN TWO SHAKES OF ALAMB’S TAIL.

[lame duck]{n.}, {informal} An elected public official who hasbeen either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but whohas a short period of time left in office during which he can still performcertain duties, though with somewhat diminished powers. •/In the last year oftheir second terms, American presidents are lame ducks./

[land] See: FAT OF THE LAND, LAY OF THE LAND also HOW THE LAND LIES.

[land all over] See: JUMP ON.

[landing ship]{n.} A ship built to land troops and army equipment on abeach for an invasion. •/The landing ship came near the beach, doors in thebow opened, and marines ran out./

[land-office business]{n.}, {informal} A great rush of business.•/It was a hot day, and the drive-ins were doing a land-office business inice cream and cold drinks./

[land of nod]{n. phr.} Sleep. •/The little girl went off to the landof nod./

[land on] See: JUMP ON.

[land on one’s feet] also [land on both feet] {v. phr.},{informal} To get yourself out of trouble without damage or injury andsometimes with a gain; be successful no matter what happens. •/No matter whattrouble he gets into, he always seems to land on his feet./ •/Mary lost herfirst job because she was always late to work, but she landed on her feet andsoon had a better job./

[landslide]{n.} An overwhelming victory during a political election.•/Ronald Reagan won the election of 1980 in a landslide./

[lane] See: LOVERS' LANE.

[lap] See: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY, IN THE LAP OF THE GODS.

[lap up]{v.} 1. To eat or drink with the tip of the tongue. •/Thekitten laps up its milk./ 2. {informal} To take in eagerly. •/Sheflatters him all the time and he just laps it up./ •/William is interestedin rockets and space, and he laps up all he can read about them./ Syn.: EATUP(3).

[lardhead]{n.}, {slang} A stupid or slow-witted person. •/You’llnever convince Donald; he’s a lardhead./

[large] See: AT LARGE, BY AND LARGE.

[large as life] See: BIG AS LIFE.

[large-eyed] See: ROUND-EYED.

[large order]{n. phr.} Difficult job; a difficult task to fulfill.•/It is a large order to educate three children in college at the sametime./ Compare: TALL ORDER.

[lash] See: TONGUE LASHING.

[lash out]{v.} 1. To kick. •/The horse lashed out at the man behindhim./ 2. To try suddenly to hit. •/The woman lashed out at the crowd withher umbrella./ 3. To attack with words. •/The senator lashed out at theadministration./ •/The school newspaper lashed out at the unfriendly waysome students treated the visiting team./

[last] See: AT LAST, EVERY LAST MAN, EVERY SINGLE or EVERY LAST, FIRST ANDLAST, HE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS LAST, HAVE THE LAST LAUGH, ON ONE’S LAST LEGS,TILL THE LAST GUN IS FIRED or UNTIL THE LAST GUN IS FIRED.

[last but not least]{adv. phr.} In the last place but not the leastimportant. •/Billy will bring sandwiches, Alice will bring cake, Susan willbring cookies, John will bring potato chips, and last but not least, Sally willbring the lemonade./

[last ditch]{n.} The last place that can be defended; the last resort.•/They will fight reform to the last ditch./

[last-ditch]{adj.} Made or done as a last chance to keep from losingor tailing. •/He threw away his cigarettes in a last-ditch effort to stopsmoking./ Compare: BACK TO THE WALL.

[last-ditch effort] See: LAST DITCH.

[last lap]{n. phr.} The final stage. •/Although the trip had beenvery interesting, we were glad that we were on the last lap of our tiringjourney./ See: LAST LEG.

[last laugh] See: HAVE THE LAST LAUGH.

[last leg]{n. phr.} 1. Final stages of physical weakness before dying.•/The poor old man was on his last leg in the nursing home./ 2. The finalstage of a journey. •/The last leg of our round-the-world trip was Paris toChicago./ See: LAST LAP.

[last out]{v.} 1. To be enough until the end of. •/There is enoughfood in the house to last out the snowstorm./ •/Our candies won’t last outthe night./ 2. To continue to the end of; continue to live after; live or gothrough. •/The old man is dying; he won’t last out the night./ •/This carwill never last out the winter./ Compare: HOLD OUT.