AMERICAN IDIOMS STARTING WITH L
(A) lady-killer:
A handsome man; a man who charms women. This does NOT mean "killer of ladies!" :)
Last but not least:
Last in order but not last in importance. ex. "Last but not least I'd like to thank my parents."
Last ditch (adj.):
Final (*has a slight connotation of "desperate"*). ex. "They made a last-ditch effort to win the game, but came up short."
(To) lay a finger on someone:
To touch someone even very slightly. ex. "If you so much as lay a finger on him, you will be in trouble."
(To) lay low:
SEE "Keep a low profile"
(To) leave a bad taste in someone's mouth:
To leave a negative impression on someone.
(To) leave someone high and dry:
To leave someone helpless. ex. "Don't leave me high. Don't leave me dry." - Radiohead
(To) leave someone in peace/ alone:
To stop bothering someone. ex. "Leave me alone! I don't want to talk to anyone."
(To) let off steam:
To release energy or anger. ex. "Victor went drinking, and got into a fight. That's OK, he's just letting off a little steam."
(To) let someone off the hook:
To release someone from responsibility. ex. "Natalie said she didn't want to wash the dishes, but her mom didn't let her off the hook."
(To) let something slide:
To neglect something. To ignore something. ex. "I'm going to let it slide this time, but next time be more careful!"
(A) lift:
A ride. ex. "She gave me a lift to the airport."
Little by little:
Slowly, gradually. ex. "Little by little she started to like living in New York City."
(A) little off:
Not quite even, normal. ex. "There was something a little off about the way she was behaving."
(To) lock horns:
To argue. To have a dispute. To disagree.
(To) look the other way:
To ignore something on purpose. ex. "In some countries, customs officials can be paid to look the other way."
(A) long shot:
Something that has a slim (small) chance of happening. "They might win, but it's a long-shot."
(To) lose (someone):
This is often used when someone is chasing someone OR being chased by someone. If you're being chased by someone and you manage to get away you can say - "I lost him!" - The person chasing you can say the same thing - "I lost him" :)
(To) lose one's temper:
To become angry.
(To) lose one's train of thought:
To forget what one was thinking/ talking about. ex. "What was I saying? I lost my train of thought."
Lost in thought:
Busy thinking.
(To) lower one's voice:
To talk more softly. ex. "Lower your voice, my parents are asleep."
(A) lucky break:
Good luck, good fortune. ex. "I was supposed to speak at the meeting today, but I found out it was cancelled. What a lucky break!"