Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[leave out] {v. phr.} To skip; omit. •/ The printer accidentally left out two paragraphs from Alan’s novel. /

[leave out in the cold]See: OUT IN THE COLD.

[leave out of account] {v. phr.} To fail to consider; forget about. •/ The picnic planners left out of account that it might rain. / Contrast: TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.

[leave-taking]See: TAKE ONE’S LEAVE.

[leave the matter open]See: LEAVE OPEN.

[leave well enough alone]See: LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE.

[leave without a leg to stand on]See: LEG TO STAND ON.

[leave word with] {v. phr.} To leave a message. •/ Hank left word with his secretary where he could be reached by phone while he was away from his office. /

[left]See: OUT IN LEFT FIELD, RIGHT AND LEFT.

[left field] {n.} 1. The part of a baseball out-field to the batter’s left. •/ Right-handed batters usually hit to left field. / Compare: CENTER FIELD, RIGHT FIELD. 2. See: OUT IN LEFT FIELD. —  [left fielder] {n.} The player in baseball who plays in left field. •/ The scoreboard in the ball park is on the fence behind the left fielder. /

[left-handed] {adj.} , {informal} 1. Using the left hand habitually. 2. Crooked; phoney; homosexual. •/ Morris is such a left-handed guy. / 3. Clumsy; untoward; awkward. •/ Grab that hammer and stop acting so left-handed. /

[left-handed compliment]An ambiguous compliment which is interpretable as an offense. •/ I didn’t know you could look so pretty! Is that a wig you’re wearing? /

[left-wing] {adj.} That which is or belongs to a group of people in politics that favors radical change in the direction of socialism or communism. •/ The left-wing faction called for an immediate strike. /

[leg]See: ON ONE’S LAST LEGS, PULL ONE’S LEG, SHAKE A LEG, TAIL BETWEEN ONE’S LEGS.

[legal age]or [lawful age]The age at which a person is allowed to do a certain thing or is held responsible for an action. •/ In most states the legal age for voting is 27. / •/ He could not get a driver’s license because he was not of lawful age. /

[leg man] {n.} , {informal} 1. An errand boy; one who performs messenger services, or the like. •/ Joe hired a leg man for the office. / 2. {slang} , {semi-vulgar} , {avoidable} A man who is particularly attracted to good looking female legs and pays less attention to other parts of the female anatomy. •/ Herb is a leg man. /

[leg-pulling]See: PULL ONE’S LEG.

[Legree]See: SIMON LEGREE.

[leg to stand on] {n. phr.} A firm foundation of facts; facts to support your claim. — Usually used in the negative. •/ Jerry’s answering speech left his opponent without a leg to stand on. / •/ Amos sued for damages, but did not have a leg to stand on. /

[leg work] {n.} , {informal} The physical end of a project, such as the typing of research reports; the physical investigating of a criminal affair; the carrying of books to and from libraries; etc. •/ Joe, my research assistant, does a lot of leg work for me. /

[leisure]See: AT LEISURE or AT ONE’S LEISURE.

[lend a hand]or [give a hand]also [bear a hand] {v. phr.} To give help; make yourself useful; help. •/ The stage manager asked some of the boys to lend a hand with the scenery. / •/ Dick saw a woman with a flat tire and offered to give her a hand with it. / Compare: LIFT A FINGER.

[lend an ear to]See: GIVE AN EAR TO.

[lend color to]See: GIVE COLOR TO.

[lend itself to] {v. phr.} To give a chance for or be useful for; to be possible or right for. •/ Bob was sick and did not go to Jane’s party, but his absence lent itself to misunderstanding. / •/ The teacher’s paperweight was a heavy piece of metal which sometimes lent itself to use as a hammer. / •/ This poem lends itself to our program very well. / Compare: LEND ONESELF TO.

[lend oneself to] {v. phr.} To give help or approval to; encourage; assist. •/ Alice wouldn’t lend herself to the plot to hide the teacher’s chalk. /

[length]See: AT LENGTH, GO TO ANY LENGTH, KEEP AT A DISTANCE or KEEP AT ARM’S LENGTH.

[less]See: MORE OR LESS, MUCH LESS.

[lesson]See: TEACH A LESSON.

[less than] {adv.} Not; little. •/ We were busy and less than delighted to have company that day. / •/ The boys were less than happy about having a party. / Contrast: MORE THAN.

[less than no time] {n. phr.} , {informal} Very quickly. •/ We can be ready to go in less than no time. / •/ It took Sally less than no time to get dinner ready. /

[let]See: LIVE AND LET LIVE.

[let alone] {conj. phr.} 1. Even less; certainly not. — Used after a negative clause. •/ I can’t add two and two, let alone do fractions. / •/ Jim can’t drive a car, let alone a truck. / Compare: MUCH LESS, NOT TO MENTION. 2. [let alone]or [leave alone] {v.} To stay away from; keep hands off; avoid. •/ When Joel gets mad, just let him alone. / •/ Little Patsy was warned to leave the birthday cake alone. / Compare: LET BE.

[let be] {v.} To pay no attention to; disregard; forget. •/ Let her be; she has a headache. / Compare: LET ALONE.

[let bygones be bygones] {v. phr.} To let the past be forgotten. •/ After a long, angry quarrel the two boys agreed to let bygones be bygones and made friends again. / •/ We should let bygones be bygones and try to get along with each other. / Syn.: FORGIVE AND FORGET. Compare: BURY THE HATCHET, LIVE AND LET LIVE.

[letdown] {n.} A disappointment; a heartbreak. •/ It was a major letdown for John when Mary refused to marry him. /

[let down] {v. phr.} 1. To allow to descend; lower. •/ Harry let the chain saw down on a rope and then climbed down himself. / 2. To relax; stop trying so hard; take it easy. •/ The horse let down near the end of the race and lost. / •/ The team let down in the fourth quarter because they were far ahead. / Compare: LET GO. 3. To fail to do as well as (someone) expected; disappoint. •/ The team felt they had let the coach down. /

[let down easy] {v. phr.} To refuse or say no to (someone) in a pleasant manner; to tell bad news about a refusal or disappointment in a kindly way. •/ The teacher had to tell George that he had failed his college examinations, but she tried to let him down easy. / •/ The boss tried to let Jim down easy when he had to tell him he was too young for the job. /

[let down one’s hair]See: LET ONE’S HAIR DOWN.

[let drop] {v. phr.} 1. To cease to talk about; set aside; forget. •/ This is such an unpleasant subject that I suggest we let it drop for a few days. / 2. To disclose; hint. •/ He unexpectedly let drop that he was resigning and joining another firm. /

[let fall]See: LET DROP.

[let George do it] {v. phr.} , {informal} To expect someone else to do the work or take the responsibility. •/ Many people expect to let George do it when they are on a committee. / Compare: PASS THE BUCK.

[let go] {v.} 1a. To stop holding something; loosen your hold; release. •/ The boy grabbed Jack’s coat and would not let go. / — Often used with "of". •/ When the child let go of her mother’s hand, she fell down. / Compare: GIVE UP(1a), LET LOOSE. 1b. To weaken and break under pressure. •/ The old water pipe suddenly let go and water poured out of it. / Syn.: GIVE WAY. Contrast: HOLD ON TO. 2. To pay no attention to; neglect. •/ Robert let his teeth go when he was young and now he has to go to the dentist often. / •/ After she was married, Jane let herself go and was not pretty anymore. / 3. To allow something to pass; do nothing about. •/ When Charles was tardy, the teacher scolded him and let it go at that. / •/ The children teased Frank, but he smiled and let it go. / Compare: LET OFF(2), LET RIDE. 4. To discharge from a job; fire. •/ Mr. Wilson got into a quarrel with his boss and was let go. / 5. To make (something) go out quickly; shoot; fire. •/ The soldiers let go a number of shots. / •/ Robin Hood let go an arrow at the deer. / •/ Paul was so angry that he let go a blow at the boy. / •/ The truck driver saw the flat tire and let go a loud curse. / •/ The pitcher let go a fast ball and the batter swung and missed. / Compare: CUT LOOSE, LET OUT. 6. or [let oneself go] {informal} To be free in one’s actions or talk; relax. •/ Judge Brown let go at the reunion of his old class and had a good time. / •/ The cowboys worked hard all week, but on Saturday night they went to town and let themselves go. / Syn.: CUT LOOSE, LET LOOSE(3), LET OFF STEAM(2).

[let go hang]See: GO HANG.

[let go of] {v. phr.} To release one’s grasp. •/ As soon as Sally let go of the leash, her dog ran away. /

[let go of one’s mother’s apron strings]See: TIED TO ONE’S MOTHER’S APRON STRINGS.

[let grass grow under one’s feet] {v. phr.} To be idle; be lazy; waste time. — Used in negative, conditional, and interrogative sentences. •/ The new boy joined the football team, made the honor roll, and found a girlfriend during the first month of school. He certainly did not let any grass grow under his feet. /

[let it all hang out] {v. phr.} , {slang} , {informal} Not to disguise anything; to let the truth be known. •/ Sue can’t deceive anyone; she just lets it all hang out. /

[let it lay] {v. phr.} , {used imperatively} , {slang} Forget it; leave it alone; do not be concerned or involved. •/ Don’t get involved with Max again — just let it lay. /

[let it rip] {v. phr.} , {used imperatively} , {slang} Don’t be concerned; pay no attention to what happens. •/ Why get involved? Forget about it and let it rip. / 2. (Imperatively) Do become involved and make the most of it; get in there and really try to win. •/ Come on man, give it all you’ve got and let it rip! /

[let know] {v. phr.} To inform. •/ Please let us know the time of your arrival. /