[lay out]{v. phr.} 1. To prepare (a dead body) for burial. •/The corpse was laid out by the undertaker./ 2. {slang} To knock down flat; to hit unconscious. •/A stiff right to the jaw laid the boxer out in the second round./ 3. To plan. •/Come here, Fred, I have a job laid out for you./ 4. To mark or show where work is to be done. •/The foreman laid out the job for the new machinist./ 5. To plan the building or arrangement of; design. •/The architect laid out the interior of the building./ •/The early colonists laid out towns in the wilderness./ Compare: LAY OFF(1). 6. {slang} To spend; pay. •/How much did you have to lay out for your new car?/ 7. or [lay out in lavender] {slang} To scold; lecture. •/He was laid out in lavender for arriving an hour late for the dance./ Compare: JUMP ON, LAY INTO(2), LET HAVE IT(1c).

[layout]{n.} General situation; arrangement; plan. •/The layout of their apartment overlooking Lake Michigan was strikingly unusual./ Compare: LAID OUT.

[layover]{n.} A stopover, usually at an airport or in a hotel due to interrupted air travel. •/There were several layovers at O’Hare last month due to bad weather./

[lay over]{v.} 1. To put off until later; delay; postpone. •/We voted to lay the question over to our next meeting for decision./ 2. To arrive in one place and wait some time before continuing the journey. •/We had to lay over in St. Louis for two hours waiting for a plane to Seattle./

[lay rubber] or [lay a patch] {v. phr.}, {slang} To take off in a car or a motorcycle so fast that the tires (made of rubber) leave a mark on the pavement. •/Look at those crazy drag racers; they laid rubber in front of my house./

[lay the blame at one’s door]{v. phr.} To say that another person or group is responsible for one’s own failure. •/The angry coach laid the blame at the door of the players when our college lost the basketball game./

[lay the fault at one’s door] See: LAY THE BLAME AT ONE’S DOOR.

[lay their heads together] See: PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER.

[lay to]{v.} 1. To give the blame or credit to; to name as cause. •/He was unpopular and when he made money, it was laid to his dishonesty, but when he lost money, it was laid to his stupidity./ Compare: LAY AT ONE’S DOOR. 2. To hold a ship or boat still against the wind. •/The pirates decided to lay to that night and go ashore in the morning./ Compare: LIE TO. 3. To exert oneself; to work hard. •/He picked up a shovel and laid to with the rest of the gang./

[lay to heart] See: TAKE TO HEART.

[lay to rest]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To put a dead person into a grave or tomb; bury. •/President Kennedy was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery./ 2. To get rid of; put away permanently; stop. •/The Scoutmaster’s fears that Tom had drowned were laid to rest when Tom came back and said he had gone for a boat ride./ •/The rumor that the principal had accepted another job was laid to rest when he said it wasn’t true./

[lay up]{v.} 1. To collect a supply of; save for future, use; store. •/Bees lay up honey for the winter./ 2. To keep in the house or in bed because of sickness or injury; disable. •/Jack was laid up with a twisted knee and couldn’t play in the final game./ 3. To take out of active service; put in a boat dock or a garage. •/Bill had to lay up his boat when school started./ •/If you lay up a car for the winter, you should take out the battery./

[lay waste]{v. phr.}, {literary} To cause wide and great damage to; destroy and leave in ruins; wreck. •/Enemy soldiers laid waste the land./

[lead] See: ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME, BLIND LEADING THE BLIND.

[lead] See: GET THE LEAD OUT OF ONE’S PANTS.

[lead a dog’s life]{v. phr.}, {informal} To live a hard life, work hard, and be treated unkindly. •/A new college student of long ago led a dog’s life./

[lead a merry chase]{v. phr.} To delay or escape capture by (someone) skillfully; make (a pursuer) work hard. •/The deer led the hunter a merry chase./ •/Valerie is leading her boyfriend a merry chase./

[lead by the nose]{v. phr.}, {informal} To have full control of; make or persuade (someone) to do anything whatever. •/Many people are easily influenced and a smart politician can lead them by the nose./ •/Don’t let anyone lead you by the nose; use your own judgment and do the right thing./

[leader] See: MAJORITY LEADER, MINORITY LEADER.

[lead-footed] See: HEAVY-FOOTED.

[leading light]{n. phr.} A prominent person in a community, company, or group. •/Alan is the leading light of our discussion group on music./

[lead off]{v.} To begin; start; open. •/Richardson led off the inning with a double./ •/We always let Henry lead off./ •/Mr. Jones led off with the jack of diamonds./ •/When the teacher asked if the film helped them to understand, Phil led off by saying that he learned a lot from it./

[lead on]{v. phr.} To encourage you to believe something untrue or mistaken. •/Tom led us on to believe that he was a world traveler, but we found out that he had never been outside our state./ •/We were led on to think that Jeanne and Jim were engaged to be married./

[lead one a merry dance]{v. phr.} To cause someone unusual discomfort or expense; tire someone by causing one to overdo. •/With her personal extravagances and constant social activities that cost a fortune, Carol led her husband a merry dance./

[lead the way]{v. phr.} To go before and show how to go somewhere; guide. •/The boys need someone to lead the way on their hike./ •/The men hired an Indian to lead the way to the Pueblo ruins./ •/That school led the way in finding methods to teach reading./

[lead to]{v. phr.} To result in. •/Such a heavy arms race can only lead to war./

[leaf] See: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.

[leaf through]{v. phr.} To scan or glance through a book or other reading matter. •/I only had time to leaf through the program before the concert started./

[league] See: IN LEAGUE WITH, IVY LEAGUE.

[leaguer] See: TEXAS LEAGUER.

[leak out]{v. phr.} To become known; escape. •/The famous beauty queen tried to keep her marriage a secret, but news of it soon leaked out./

[leak to]{v. phr.} To purposely let a secret be known, as if conveying it in the strictest confidence. •/The movie star’s secret divorce was leaked to the tabloids by her housekeeper./

[lean on]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} To pressure (someone) by blackmailing, threats, physical violence, or the withholding of some favor in order to make the person comply with a wish or request. •/I would gladly do what you ask if you only stopped leaning on me so hard!/

[lean over backward] See: BEND OVER BACKWARD.

[lean-to]{n.} 1. A shed for tools, such as spades, hoes, etc., attached to the wall of a house, •/Joe looked for the garden hose in the lean-to./ 2. A small cabin in the country. •/They spend their weekends in their modest lean-to in Wisconsin./

[leap] See: BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

[leap year]{n.} Every fourth year during which the month of February contains 29 rather than 28 days. •/During a leap year one must wait a day longer for one’s February pay check./