Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (70 page)

live entertainment

live for

live from hand to mouth

live on one’s own

live programming

live theater

live through

live up to

living

living a life of luxury

living expenses

living high on/off the hog

living in the lap of luxury

living large

living like a king/queen

loaded

local color

log in/out

log on/off

loner

long arm of the law

long face

loo/toilet/lavatory/W.C., British

look around

look down on

look down one’s nose

look for

look for (someone/something)

look for a handout

look forward to

look in on

look like a million dollars (bucks)

look on the bright side

look one’s age

look out

look out for number one

look over

look sharp

look sharp/smart

look sheepish

look smart, British

look someone in the face

look something in the face

look through

look up

look up (something)

look up to

looked forward to

looked up to

looker

loose weight

loosen up

loot

lose ground

lose it

lose money

lose one’s cool

lose one’s head

lose one’s job

lose one’s shirt

lose out (on something)

lose the chance/opportunity

losing face

losing one’s job

lounge lizard

love

love affair

love at first sight

love handles

love talk

lovebirds

lovers

lovesick

lovey-dovey

low

low achiever

low man in the totem pole

low rung on the ladder

low-budget movie

lower your voice

low-income

luck out

lush

mad as hell

madder than a wet hen

made by hand

made for each other

made of money

madly in love

main squeeze

maintain your weight

maintaining one’s weight

make a call

make a date

make a decision

make a face

make a face at someone

make a fast buck

make a fortune

make a living

make a living wage

make a mess

make a mint

make a mistake

make a plan

make a point

make a presentation

make a speech

make a success of oneself

make an agreement

make an appointment

make an effort

make an offer

make bank

make big bucks

make conversation

make dinner

make do with

make ends meet

make eyes at

make for

make fun of

make (pull) in six figures

make it

make it legal/official

make it work

make it/things happen

make love

make money

make money hand over fist

make next to nothing

make one’s day

make one’s head spin

make one’s money

make one’s mouth water

make one’s skin crawl

make out

make payments

make peanuts

make plans

make sense

make someone pay

make something of oneself

make something up

make the beds

make the call

make the grade

make things neat/tidy

make time

make tracks

make trouble

make up

make up with

make whoopee

make work for someone

make you laugh

make yourself at home

makes good

make-up test/exam

making a living

making a reservation

making every penny count

making money

making off with

making six figures

making small talk

mama’s boy

man friend

man of his word

manage

Mange!

many thanks

marshmallow

marital bliss

masterpiece

match made in heaven

mate, British

MattandLisa

mattress hair

mature adult

May I use your bathroom?

maybe

maybe not

maybe so

Me Generation

me, me, me

me, myself, and I

measure up

meat market

mega box office hit/success

melodrama

merry-go-round

mess around

mess up

messing around in someone else’s business

messy

met one’s Maker

microbreweries

middle aged

middle-income

midlife crisis

midterm exams

midterms

miffed

mind your manners

mind your own business

mind your Ps and Qs

miss one’s go, British

miss one’s turn

miss out (on something)

miss the chance/opportunity

misses by a mile

missing class

mix up

mixed up

money bags

monkey around

mooch

mooch off of someone

moody

moola

mother’s side

motion pictures

mousy

mouth

mouthful

move

move about, British

move around

move at a snail’s pace

move away

move in

move in/out

move off, British

move on

move out

move over

movie buff

movie theater

moviegoer

movies

moving pictures

mull it over

mull over

multiple choice questions

music lovers

must-see

my better half

my brood

my female/male friend

my foot!

my guy/girl

my man/woman

my mistake

my old lady

my old man

my pleasure

NA (Narcotics Anonymous)

nab

nah

nail polish

nail varnish, British

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

natural

natural parent

nature lovers

nature-nurture argument

neck

neck of the woods

neck-and-neck

necking

need a hand

needs work

negative

nerd

nest egg

never

never a dull moment

never again

never amount to anything

never better

never fear

never going to live it down

never hear the end of it

never hurts to ask

never in a million years

never mind

never say die

never too late

new hire

new kid on the block

new little one

newlyweds

newsagent, British

newsstand

next to last

niceties

nick, British

nicotine fit

night job

night owl

nightlife

nightspots

nine to five (9 to 5)

nine-to-five job

no

no backbone

no big deal

no buts about it

no can do

no dice

no doubt

no doubt about it

no end

no fair

no fool

no fooling

no fun

no go

no good

no hard feelings

no kidding

No kidding?

no lie

No lie?

no matter what

no need

no pain, no gain

no picnic

no problem

no problem/sweat

no question

no show

no siree

no skin off one’s nose

no sooner said than done

no spring chicken

no strings attached

no such animal

no such thing

no sweat

no use

no way

no wonder

no worries

no-brainer

nod off

no-host bar

non-biological parent

none

none but the best

none the wiser

none the worse for wear

none too

none too soon

non-separable phrasal verbs

nope

nose

nose around

nose to the grindstone

not

not 100%

not a chance

not a day goes by

not again

not all there

not at all

not bad

not be working

not doing well

not fair

not for love or money

not getting along

not give a hoot/darn/damn

not have a leg to stand on

not have work

not if I can help it

not if I have anything to do with it

not if I’m around

not in the least

not looking where one is going

not much

not now

not on my watch

not on your life

not one’s cup of tea

not one’s day

not one’s self

not open one’s mouth

not show one’s face

not that I care

not to worry

not work out

not worth the price of a ticket

Not!

nothing

nothing but the best

nothing but trouble

nothing but work

nothing doing

nothing flat

nothing like it

Nothing much

nothing short of

nothing to do with

nothing to it

nothing to write home about

nouns, American versus British use

nth degree

nuclear family

nuke

number one

numbskull

nurtured

of course

off

off color

off the top of one’s head

off (go) to bed

off you go, British

office job

oh no

okay by/fine with me

old age

old as the hills

old codger

old folks

old geezer

old hand at

old man/lady

old married couple

old timer

oldster

on

on all fours

on and on

on cloud nine

on foot

on hand

on hold

on ice

on my back

on one’s feet

on one’s last leg

on one’s shoulders

on one’s toes

on pins and needles

on second thought

on shaky ground

on the back burner

on the down low (D.L.)

on the job

on the job, British

on the level

on the mend

on the rise

on the road to recovery

on the rocks

on the sly

on the table

on the up and up

on the warpath

on their honeymoon

once in a blue moon

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

one

one act

one and only

one at a time

one by one

one hundred and one reasons

one in a million

one of a kind

one on one

one to one

one too many

one up

one way or another

one-man woman

one’s eyes are bigger than one’s stomach

one’s hands are tied

one’s heart bleeds for someone

one’s heart goes out to someone

one’s luck run out

one’s two cents

one-sided

one-track mind

one-way

one-way ticket

one-woman man

oops

open bar

open book

open one’s eyes

open one’s mouth

open seating

open up

open your eyes

open-book test

opening act

opportunity knocks

opportunity of a lifetime

oral exams

orals

other half

out for oneself

out in a second

out in the open

out like a light

out of a job

out of earshot

out of it

out of one’s hands

out of one’s head

out of shape

out of sorts

out of the blue

out of trouble (danger)

out of work

out on one’s ear

Out with it!

outgoing

over and over

over one’s head

overbooked

overeat

overweight

pack a day

pack of lies

pain in the neck

paint the town red

pair

pal around

parasite

pardon me

Pardon me?

part time

part with

partner

part-time job

party pooper

pass

pass around

pass away

pass in

pass in/out

pass the salt

passed away

passive voice, with phrasal verbs

past one’s prime

pat someone on the back

patch it up

paunch

pay off

pay through the nose

pay up

peals of laughter

peck

pecking order

penny pincher

people person

perfect

perfect couple

Period!

person of means

petting

phony

phrasal verbs

pick up

pick up the pace

pick-up joint/place

picky eater

picture of health

pig sty

pink

pink-collar

pink-collar job/worker

pissed (off)

pissed, American versus British use

pissing down with rain, British

pitch in

place an order

place to lay one’s head

plain as the nose on one’s face

plastic

play a joke on (someone)

play around

play around behind someone’s back