English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - L, page 3
from: 'learn the ropes'
to: 'buy a lemon'
- learn the ropes
- If you learn the ropes, you learn how to do a particular job correctly.
"He's bright. It won't take him long to learn the ropes."
- If you learn the ropes, you learn how to do a particular job correctly.
- learn to walk before you run
- This expression means that you should master basic skills before trying to do something more difficult or complex.
"To play the piano properly you must practise scales. You must learn to walk before you can run!"
- This expression means that you should master basic skills before trying to do something more difficult or complex.
- learning curve
- The length of time needed to learn something new is called the learning curve.
"The new system has a long learning curve so we'll have to give the staff time to get used to it."
- The length of time needed to learn something new is called the learning curve.
- new lease of life
- A person who has a new lease of life has a chance
to make a fresh start or to live longer with greater enjoyment or satisfaction.
"Moving closer to his children has given the old man a new lease of life."
- A person who has a new lease of life has a chance
to make a fresh start or to live longer with greater enjoyment or satisfaction.
- leave the door open
- If you leave the door open, you behave in a way
that allows the possibility of further action or
discussion.
"Both parties left the door open for further negotiations."
- If you leave the door open, you behave in a way
that allows the possibility of further action or
discussion.
- leave high and dry
- If you are left high and dry, you find yourself in a difficult situation without help or resources.
"When her husband walked out on her, Amanda was left high and dry with two kids to raise."
- If you are left high and dry, you find yourself in a difficult situation without help or resources.
- leave no stone unturned
- If you try everything possible in order to achieve or to find something, you leave no stone unturned.
"The management left no stone unturned in their efforts to find a solution to the crisis."
- If you try everything possible in order to achieve or to find something, you leave no stone unturned.
- leave well alone
- If you leave well alone, you decide not to interfere with or change something that is acceptable or adequate.
"It would be hard to get a better deal. Let's just leave well alone."
- If you leave well alone, you decide not to interfere with or change something that is acceptable or adequate.
- (be) led by the nose
- Someone who is led by the nose is dominated, controlled
or influenced by a person or group who makes them do exactly what they want.
"Jack has always been led by the nose by his mother."
- Someone who is led by the nose is dominated, controlled
or influenced by a person or group who makes them do exactly what they want.
- left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
- To say that 'the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing' means that within a
group or organisation, communication is so bad that one person doesn't know what another person is doing.
- To say that 'the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing' means that within a
group or organisation, communication is so bad that one person doesn't know what another person is doing.
- left hanging in the air
- If a problem or issue is left hanging in the air (or in mid-air), no decision has been taken so it remains
without a solution.
"No solution was proposed during the meeting so the question was left hanging in the air."
- If a problem or issue is left hanging in the air (or in mid-air), no decision has been taken so it remains
without a solution.
- left to your own devices
- If you leave someone to their own devices, you leave them to look after themselves, with any help or supervision.
"When left to their own devices, many children watch TV and eat junk food."
- If you leave someone to their own devices, you leave them to look after themselves, with any help or supervision.
- pull someone's leg
- If you pull someone's leg, you tease them by telling them something that is not true.
"Of course I'm not going to buy a sports car. I was just pulling your leg!"
- If you pull someone's leg, you tease them by telling them something that is not true.
- (hot have) a leg to stand on
- To say that someonedoesn't have a leg to stand on means that they can't prove what they say.
"Three people testified against him. He didn't have a leg to stand on."
- To say that someonedoesn't have a leg to stand on means that they can't prove what they say.
- (buy) a lemon
- If you buy something, especially a car, that is defective, unsatisfactory, constantly gives problems or stops running after a short
time, you buy a lemon.
"The car I bought was a real lemon. It broke down two weeks later."
- If you buy something, especially a car, that is defective, unsatisfactory, constantly gives problems or stops running after a short
time, you buy a lemon.
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