[loose ends]{n.} 1. Parts or things that should be finished or puttogether. •/Mary’s composition had many loose ends./ •/When George camehome after a long trip, he started picking up the loose ends./ 2. See: ATLOOSE ENDS.

[lord it over]{v. phr.} To act as the superior and master of;dominate; be bossy over; control. •/John learned early to lord it over otherchildren./ •/The office manager lorded it over the clerks and typists./

[Lord knows] See: GOD KNOWS.

[lose] See: HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE.

[lose face]{v.} To be embarrassed or shamed by an error or failure;lose dignity, influence or reputation; lose self-respect or the confidence ofothers. •/Many Japanese soldiers were killed in World War II because theybelieved that to give up or retreat would make them lose face./ •/John’scareless work made him lose face with his employer./ •/The banker lost facewhen people found out he bet on horse races./

[lose ground] 1. To go backward; retreat. •/The soldiers began to loseground when their leader was killed./ Compare: GIVE GROUND. 2. To becomeweaker; get worse; not improve. •/The sick man began to lose ground when hiscough grew worse./ •/When the Democrats are in power, the Republicans loseground./ Contrast: GAIN GROUND.

[lose heart]{v. phr.} To feel discouraged because of failure; to losehope of success. •/The team had won no games and it lost heart./ Contrast:TAKE HEART.

[lose one’s balance] Contrast: KEEP ONE’S BALANCE.

[lose oneself]{v. phr.} 1. To go wrong; miss your way; become unableto find the right direction. •/Fred lost himself in the confusion of downtownBoston streets./ 2. To conceal yourself; hide. •/The pick-pocket losthimself in the crowd and escaped the police./ 3. To become deeply interestedand forget yourself; become absorbed. •/Sometimes Harry would lose himself ina book for an afternoon at a time./ Compare: IN A WORLD OF ONE’S OWN.

[lose one’s grip]{v. phr.} To fail in control or command; lose yourstrength, force, or ability to lead. •/Mr. Jones began to lose his grip: heno longer wanted the hard jobs, and he left decisions to others./ •/When alocomotive engineer loses his grip, he is no longer trusted with expressruns./

[lose one’s head (over)]{v. phr.} 1. To panic. •/"Let’s not lose ourheads," the captain cried. "We have good lifeboats on this vessel."/ 2. Tobecome deeply infatuated with someone. •/Don’t lose your head over Jane; sheis already married./ Contrast: KEEP ONE’S HEAD.

[lose one’s heart]{v. phr.} To fall in love; begin to love. •/Shelost her heart to the soldier with the broad shoulders and the deep voice./•/Bill lost his heart to the puppy the first time he saw it./

[lose one’s marbles]{v. phr.} To go mad; become crazed. •/Stan musthave lost his marbles; he is hopelessly pursuing a happily married woman./

[lose one’s shirt]{v. phr.}, {slang} To lose all or most of yourmoney. •/Uncle Joe spent his life savings to buy a store, but it failed, andhe lost his shirt./ •/Mr. Matthews lost his shirt betting on the horses./

[lose one’s temper]{v. phr.} To lose control over one’s anger; to getangry. •/He lost his temper when he broke the key in the lock./ Compare:BLOW A FUSE, FLY OFF THE HANDLE. Contrast: HOLD ONE’S TEMPER.

[lose one’s tongue]{v. phr.}, informal To be so embarrassed orsurprised that you cannot talk. •/The man would always lose his tongue whenhe was introduced to new people./ Compare: CAT GET ONE’S TONGUE.

[lose out]{v.} To fail to win; miss first place in a contest; lose toa rival. •/John lost out in the rivalry for Mary’s hand in marriage./•/Fred didn’t want to lose out to the other salesman./ Compare: MISS OUT.Contrast: WIN OUT.

[loser] See: FINDERS KEEPERS or FINDERS KEEPERS LOSERS WEEPERS.

[lose sight of]{v. phr.} 1. Not to be able to see any longer. •/Ilost sight of Mary in the crowd./ •/I watched the plane go higher andhigher until I lost sight of it./ Contrast: CATCH SIGHT OF. 2. To forget;overlook. •/Johnny was so interested in the game he lost sight of thetime./ •/No matter how rich and famous he became, he never lost sight ofthe fact that he had been born in the slums./

[lose touch]{v. phr.}, {informal} To fail to keep in contact orcommunication. — Usually used with "with". •/After she moved to anothertown, she lost touch with her childhood friends./ Compare: OUT OF TOUCH.

[lose track]{v. phr.} To forget about something; not stay informed;fail to keep a count or record. •/What’s the score now? I’ve lost track./ — Usually used with "of". •/Mary lost track of her friends at camp aftersummer was over./ •/John lost track of the money he spent at the circus./Compare: OUT OF TOUCH. Contrast: KEEP TRACK.

[loss] See: AT A LOSS, THROW FOR A LOSS.

[lost] See: GET LOST, NO LOVE LOST.

[lost cause]{n. phr.} A movement that has failed and has no chance tobe revived. •/Communism in Eastern Europe has become a lost cause./

[lost upon] adj. Wasted. •/Tim’s generosity is completely lost upon Sue;he can’t expect any gratitude from her./

[lot] See: A LOT, CAST ONE’S LOT WITH, SAND LOT, THINK A GREAT DEAL OF orTHINK A LOT OF, THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH or CAST IN ONE’S LOT WITH.

[loud] See: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, OUT LOUD,THINK ALOUD or THINK OUT LOUD.

[loud mouth] or [big mouth] {n.}, {slang} A noisy, boastful, orfoolish talker. •/Fritz is a loud mouth who cannot be trusted withsecrets./ •/When he has had a few drinks, Joe will make empty boasts likeany other big mouth./

[loud-mouthed] or [big-mouthed] {adj.}, {slang} Talkingnoisily, boastfully, or foolishly. •/Fred was a loud-mouthed fellow, whosetalk no one listened to./ •/If I were you, I would not listen to thatloud-mouthed boy./

[lounge lizard]{n. phr.} A well-dressed male fortune hunter who sitsaround in bars and other public places, and attends many social events to tryto pick up wealthy women through smart conversation. •/Harry has thereputation of being a lounge lizard; he is looking for a rich wife./

[louse up]{v.}, {slang} To throw into confusion; make a mess of;spoil; ruin. •/When the man who was considering John’s house heard that thebasement was wet, that was enough to louse up the sale./ •/Fred’s failurein business not only lost him his business but loused him up with his wife./•/The rain loused up the picnic./ See: MESS UP(2), FUCK UP.

[love] See: FOR LOVE OR MONEY, IN LOVE, LABOR OF LOVE, MAKE LOVE, NO LOVELOST, PUPPY LOVE also CALF LOVE.

[love affair]{n.} A friendship between lovers; a romance or courtship.•/The love affair of Bob and Jane went on for months./ •/Harry had manylove affairs, but he never married./

[love game]{n.} A game of tennis which is won without the opponentscoring. •/Britain took a love game on Songster’s service./

[love-in]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} A festival or occasion tocelebrate life, human sensuality, the beauty of nature, human sexuality, anduniversal love; affairs so conceived by some frequently deteriorate intoobscenity and drug using sessions in parody of their stated purpose. •/Thehippies gathered for a big love-in in the Halght-Ashbury district of SanFrancisco./