[let the grass grow under one’s feet]{v. phr.}, {informal} Towaste time; be slow or idle. •/Grandpa spends so much time sitting andthinking that Grandma accuses him of letting the grass grow under his feet./

[let up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To become less, weaker, or quiet;become slower or stop. •/It’s raining as hard as ever. It’s not letting up atall./ •/It snowed for three days before it let up and we could gooutdoors./ 2. To do less or go slower or stop; relax; stop working or workinghard. •/Grandfather has been working all his life. When is he going to letup?/ •/Let up for a minute. You can’t work hard all day./ •/Jim ran allthe way home without letting up once./ Compare: SLOW DOWN. Contrast: BEARDOWN. 3. To become easier, kinder, or less strict. — Usually used with "on".•/Let up on Jane. She is sick./ Syn.: EASE UP. 4. or [change up] Topitch a ball at less than full speed in baseball. — Usually used with "on".•/John pitched a ball that was very fast and the batter missed it. Then helet up on the next pitch and the batter was badly fooled./

[let well enough alone] or [leave well enough alone] {v. phr.} Tobe satisfied with what is good enough; not try to improve something becauseoften that might cause more trouble. •/John wanted to make his kite gohigher, but his father told him to let well enough alone because it was toowindy./ •/Ed polished up his car until his friends warned him to leave wellenough alone./ •/Ethel made a lot of changes in her test paper after shefinished. She should have let well enough alone, because she made several newmistakes./ Compare: LET RIDE.

[level] See: ON THE LEVEL.

[level best]{adj. phr.} One’s utmost; one’s very best. •/Ericrefused to stay in school although his parents did their level best to make himfinish./

[levelheaded]{adj. phr.} Having good common sense; practical;reasonable. •/What our office needs is a good, level-headed manager./

[level off] or [level out] {v.} 1. To make flat or level. •/Thesteamroller leveled out the gravel roadbed and then the concrete was poured./2. To move on an even level. •/The airplane leveled out at 2,000 feet./•/After going up for six months, the cost of living leveled off inSeptember./

[level with]{v. phr.} To tell someone the truth; not engage in liesand subterfuge. •/"You can level with me," his father said. "Did you breakthat window?"/

[liberty] See: TAKE LIBERTIES.

[lick and a promise]{n. phr.}, {informal} A careless, hasty job;an unsatisfactory piece of work. •/You didn’t wash your hands. You just gavethem a lick and a promise./ •/The boys didn’t cut the grass properly. Allit got was a lick and a promise./

[lickety-split] also [lickety-cut] {adv.}, {informal} At fullspeed; with a rush. •/As soon as school was out the boys ran lickety-split tothe swimming pool./

[lick into shape]{v. phr.} To make perfect; drill; train. •/Thesergeant licked the new volunteer army into shape in three months./

[lick one’s boots]{v. phr.} To flatter or act like a slave; doanything to please another. •/She wanted her boyfriend to lick her boots allthe time./ •/A wise king would not want his friends and officials to lickhis boots./

[lick one’s chops]{v. phr.}, {informal} To think about somethingpleasant; enjoy the thought of something. •/John is licking his chops aboutthe steak dinner tonight./ •/Tom is licking his chops about the lifeguardjob he will have at the beach next summer./ •/Our team is licking its chopsbecause we beat the champions last night./ (From the fact that some animalslick their mouths when they expect to be fed or when they see food, and aftereating.) Compare: LOOK FORWARD TO, MAKE ONE’S MOUTH WATER.

[lick the --- out of] See: BEAT THE --- OUT OF.

[lid] See: FLIP ONE’S LID, THE LID.

[lie] See: GIVE THE LIE TO, LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE, MAKE ONE’S BED AND LIEIN IT.

[lie around]{v. phr.} To be unused; inert. •/This old typewriter hasbeen lying around ever since Grandpa died./

[lie down on the job]{v. phr.}, {informal} To purposely fail to doyour job; neglect a task; loaf. •/Bill isn’t trying to learn his lessons. Heis lying down on the job./ •/If you lie down on your job, you will loseit./

[lief] See: AS SOON also AS LIEF, HAD AS SOON also HAD AS LIEF.

[lie in state]{v. phr.} Of a dead person: To lie in a place of honor,usually in an open coffin, and be seen by the public before burial. •/Whenthe president died, thousands of people saw his body lying in state./

[lie in wait]{v. phr.} To watch from hiding in order to attack orsurprise someone; to ambush. •/The driver of the stage-coach knew that thethieves were lying in wait somewhere along the road./

[lie low] or {nonstandard} [lay low] {v.}, {informal} 1. Tostay quietly out of sight; try not to attract attention; hide. •/Afterholding up the bank, the robbers lay low for a while./ 2. To keep secretone’s thoughts or plans. •/I think he wants to be elected president, but heis lying low and not saying anything./

[lie through one’s teeth]{v. phr.} To lie uninhibitedly andunashamedly. •/Everyone in the courtroom could sense that the accused waslying through his teeth./

[lie to]{v.} Of a ship: To stay in one place facing against the wind;stop. •/Our ship will lie to outside the harbor until daylight./ Compare:LAY TO(2).

[lieu] See: INSTEAD OF also IN LIEU OF.

[life] See: BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, BIG AS LIFE, CAT HAS NINE LIVES,CHARMED LIFE, COME ALIVE OT COME TO LIFE, FACTS OF LIFE, FOR DEAR LIFE, FOR THELIFE OF ONE, LEAD A DOG’S LIFE, NIGHT LIFE, NOT ON YOUR LIFE OR ONE’S LIFE,TAKE ONE’S LIFE IN ONE’S HANDS, TIME OF ONE’S LIFE, YOU BET or YOU BET YOURLIFE, WALK OF LIFE, WITHIN AN INCH OF ONE’S LIFE.

[life of Riley]{n. phr.}, {informal} A soft easy life; pleasant orrich way of living. •/He’s living the life of Riley. He doesn’t have to workanymore./ Compare: BED OF ROSES, IN CLOVER, LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG.

[life of the party]{n. phr.} A person who makes things enjoyable orinteresting for a group of people. •/Bill is the life of the party at school.He is always making us laugh./

[lift a finger] or [lift a hand] also [raise a hand] {v. phr.}1. To do something; do your share; to help. — Usually used in the negative.•/We all worked hard except Joe. He wouldn’t lift a finger./ •/The kingdid not lift a hand when his people were hungry./ Compare: LEND A HAND.

[light] See: BRING TO LIGHT, COME TO LIGHT, DASH LIGHT, HIDE ONE’S LIGHTUNDER A BUSHEL, IN THE LIGHT OF, MAKE LIGHT OF, MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, OUTLIKE A LIGHT, SEE THE LIGHT, TRAVEL LIGHT.

[light-fingered]{adj.} Given to stealing; having a tendency to bedishonest or a kleptomaniac. •/I always suspected that Freddie might belightfingered and my suspicions were confirmed when he was arrested forshoplifting./

[light housekeeping]{n.}, {slang} An arrangement in which anunmarried couple live together. •/Are Joe and Sue married? — Oh, no, — it’sjust a case of light housekeeping./ See: SHACK UP WITH.

[light into] See: LAY INTO.