[lovers' lane]{n.} A hidden road or walk where lovers walk or park inthe evening. •/A parked car in a lonely lovers' lane often is a chance forholdup men./

[low] See: LAY LOW, LIE LOW.

[lowbrow]{n.} A person of limited culture; a nonintellectual. •/Somepeople claim that only lowbrows read the comics./ Contrast: HIGH BROW.

[lowdown]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} The inside facts of amatter; the total truth. •/Nixon never gave the American people the lowdownon Watergate./

[lower the boom]{v. phr.}, {informal} To punish strictly; check orstop fully. •/The mayor lowered the boom on outside jobs for city firemen./•/Father lowered the boom on the girls for staying out after midnight./Syn.: CRACK DOWN. •/The police lowered the boom on open gambling./

[low-key]{adj.} Relaxed and easygoing. •/Surprisingly, dinner withthe governor was a low-key affair./

[low season] Contrast: HIGH SEASON.

[luck] See: DOWN ON ONE’S LUCK, LUCK OUT, PRESS ONE’S LUCK or PUSH ONE’SLUCK, IN LUCK, OUT OF LUCK.

[luck out]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Suddenly to getlucky when in fact the odds are against one’s succeeding. •/I was sure I wasgoing to miss the train as I was three minutes late, but I lucked out, thetrain was five minutes late./ 2. To be extraordinarily fortunate.•/Catwallender really lucked out at Las Vegas last month; he came home with$10,000 in cash./ 3. (By sarcastic opposition) to be extremely unfortunate;to be killed. •/Those poor marines sure lucked out in Saigon, didn’t they?/

[lucky] See: THANK ONE’S LUCKY STARS.

[lucky star]{n.} A certain star or planet which, by itself or withothers, is seriously or jokingly thought to bring a person good luck andsuccess in life. •/John was born under a lucky star./ •/Ted was unhurt inthe car accident, for which he thanked his lucky stars./

[lump in one’s throat]{n. phr.} A feeling (as of grief or pride) sostrong that you almost sob. •/John’s mother had a lump in her throat at hiscollege graduation./ •/All during her husband’s funeral, Aunt May had alump in her throat./ •/The bride’s mother had a lump in her throat./

[lump sum]{n.} The complete amount; a total agreed upon and to be paidat one time. •/The case was settled out of court with the plaintiff receivinga lump sum of half a million dollars for damages./

[lunar module (L.M.)] or [Lem] {n.}, {Space English} Thatportion of the rocket assemblage on a flight to the Moon in which theastronauts descend to the Moon’s surface. •/Building the L.M. was one of themost expensive parts of the American space program./

[lung] See: AT THE TOP OF ONE’S VOICE or AT THE TOP OP ONE’S LUNGS.

[lurch] See: LEAVE IN THE LURCH.

[lust for]{v. phr.} To physically yearn for; hanker after; wantsomething very strongly. •/Ed has been lusting after Meg for a very longtime./

[luxury] See: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY.

M

[mackerel] See: HOLY CATS or HOLY MACKEREL.

[mad about]{adj. phr.} 1. Angry about. •/What is Harriet so madabout?/ 2. Enthusiastic about. •/Dan is mad about pop music./

[mad as a hatter] or [mad as a March hare] {adj. phr.} Not able tothink right; crazy. •/Anyone who thinks the moon is made of green cheese ismad as a hatter./

[mad as a hornet] or [mad as hops] or [mad as a wet hen] {adj.phr.}, {informal} In a fighting mood; very angry. •/When my father seesthe dent in his fender, he’ll be mad as a hornet./ •/Bill was mad as hopswhen the fellows went on without him./ •/Mrs. Harris was mad as a wet henwhen the rabbits ate her tulips./

[mad as a March hare] See: MAD AS A HATTER.

[mad as hops] See: MAD AS A HORNET.

[made of money]{adj. phr.} Very rich; wealthy. •/Mr. Jones buys hischildren everything they want. He must be made of money./ Compare: MONEY TOBURN.

[made-to-measure] or [tailor-made] {adj.} Made to fit a special setof measurements or needs. •/John has a new made-to-measure suit./ •/Theclub is tailor-made for Jane./ Syn.: MADE TO ORDER.

[made to order]{adj. phr.} 1. Made specially in the way the buyerwants instead of all the same in large amounts; made especially for the buyer.•/Mr. Black’s clothes were all made to order./ Compare: MADE-TO-MEASURE. 2.Just right. •/The weather was made to order for the hike./

[made up out of whole cloth] See: OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.

[magic carpet]{n.} 1. A rug said to be able to transport a personthrough the air to any place he wishes. •/The caliph of Baghdad flew on hismagic carpet to Arabia./ 2. Any form of transportation that is comfortableand easy enough to seem magical. •/Flying the Concord from Dallas to Londonseemed like boarding the magic carpet./ •/Mr. Smith’s new car drove sosmoothly it seemed like a magic carpet./

[maiden speech]{n. phr.} One’s first public speech, usually beforesome legislative body. •/It was the new congressman’s maiden speech andeveryone was listening very keenly./

[maiden voyage]{n. phr.} The first voyage of a boat. •/The Titanicsank on her maiden voyage to America from England./

[mail order]{n. phr.} A purchase made by mail. •/If you don’t have achance to go to a store, you can sometimes make a purchase by mail order./

[main] See: IN THE MAIN, WITH MIGHT AND MAIN.

[main drag]{n.}, {colloquial} 1. The most important street orthoroughfare in a town. •/Lincoln Avenue is the main drag of our town./ 2.The street where the dope pushers and the prostitutes are. •/Wells Street isthe main drag of Chicago, actionwise./

[main squeeze]{n.}, {slang} 1. The top ranking person in anorganization or in a neighborhood; an important person, such as one’s boss.•/Mr. Bronchard is the main squeeze in this office./ 2. The top person incharge of an illegal operation, such as drug sales, etc. •/Before we canclean up this part of town, we must arrest the main squeeze./ 3. One’sprincipal romantic or sexual partner. •/The singer’s main squeeze is a memberof the band./

[majority leader]{n.} The leader of the political party with the mostvotes in a legislative house. •/The majority leader of the House ofRepresentatives tried to get the members of his party to support the bill./Compare: MINORITY LEADER.

[make] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, HAVE IT MADE, MANYHANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, ON THE MAKE.

[make a beeline for]{v. phr.} To go in a straight line toward. •/Therunner made a beeline for first base./ •/When the bell rang Ted made abeeline for the door of the classroom./

[make a big deal about]{v. phr.}, {informal} To exaggerate aninsignificant event. •/Jeff said, "I’m sorry I banged into you in the dark.Don’t make a big deal out of it."/

[make a clean breast of]{v. phr.} To admit (your guilt); tell allabout (your wrong doing); confess everything. •/The police caught thehit-and-run driver and he made a clean breast of his crime./ •/Arthurworried because he cheated on the test, and finally he went to the teacher andmade a clean breast of it./ Compare: OFF ONE’S CHEST.