[let the grass grow under one’s feet]{v. phr.}, {informal} To waste time; be slow or idle. •/Grandpa spends so much time sitting and thinking that Grandma accuses him of letting the grass grow under his feet./

[let up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To become less, weaker, or quiet; become slower or stop. •/It’s raining as hard as ever. It’s not letting up at all./ •/It snowed for three days before it let up and we could go outdoors./ 2. To do less or go slower or stop; relax; stop working or working hard. •/Grandfather has been working all his life. When is he going to let up?/ •/Let up for a minute. You can’t work hard all day./ •/Jim ran all the way home without letting up once./ Compare: SLOW DOWN. Contrast: BEAR DOWN. 3. To become easier, kinder, or less strict. — Usually used with "on". •/Let up on Jane. She is sick./ Syn.: EASE UP. 4. or [change up] To pitch a ball at less than full speed in baseball. — Usually used with "on". •/John pitched a ball that was very fast and the batter missed it. Then he let up on the next pitch and the batter was badly fooled./

[let well enough alone] or [leave well enough alone] {v. phr.} To be satisfied with what is good enough; not try to improve something because often that might cause more trouble. •/John wanted to make his kite go higher, but his father told him to let well enough alone because it was too windy./ •/Ed polished up his car until his friends warned him to leave well enough alone./ •/Ethel made a lot of changes in her test paper after she finished. She should have let well enough alone, because she made several new mistakes./ Compare: LET RIDE.

[level] See: ON THE LEVEL.

[level best]{adj. phr.} One’s utmost; one’s very best. •/Eric refused to stay in school although his parents did their level best to make him finish./

[levelheaded]{adj. phr.} Having good common sense; practical; reasonable. •/What our office needs is a good, level-headed manager./

[level off] or [level out] {v.} 1. To make flat or level. •/The steamroller leveled out the gravel roadbed and then the concrete was poured./ 2. To move on an even level. •/The airplane leveled out at 2,000 feet./ •/After going up for six months, the cost of living leveled off in September./

[level with]{v. phr.} To tell someone the truth; not engage in lies and subterfuge. •/"You can level with me," his father said. "Did you break that window?"/

[liberty] See: TAKE LIBERTIES.

[lick and a promise]{n. phr.}, {informal} A careless, hasty job; an unsatisfactory piece of work. •/You didn’t wash your hands. You just gave them a lick and a promise./ •/The boys didn’t cut the grass properly. All it got was a lick and a promise./

[lickety-split] also [lickety-cut] {adv.}, {informal} At full speed; with a rush. •/As soon as school was out the boys ran lickety-split to the swimming pool./

[lick into shape]{v. phr.} To make perfect; drill; train. •/The sergeant licked the new volunteer army into shape in three months./

[lick one’s boots]{v. phr.} To flatter or act like a slave; do anything to please another. •/She wanted her boyfriend to lick her boots all the time./ •/A wise king would not want his friends and officials to lick his boots./

[lick one’s chops]{v. phr.}, {informal} To think about something pleasant; enjoy the thought of something. •/John is licking his chops about the steak dinner tonight./ •/Tom is licking his chops about the lifeguard job he will have at the beach next summer./ •/Our team is licking its chops because we beat the champions last night./ (From the fact that some animals lick their mouths when they expect to be fed or when they see food, and after eating.) Compare: LOOK FORWARD TO, MAKE ONE’S MOUTH WATER.

[lick the --- out of] See: BEAT THE --- OUT OF.

[lid] See: FLIP ONE’S LID, THE LID.

[lie] See: GIVE THE LIE TO, LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE, MAKE ONE’S BED AND LIE IN IT.

[lie around]{v. phr.} To be unused; inert. •/This old typewriter has been lying around ever since Grandpa died./

[lie down on the job]{v. phr.}, {informal} To purposely fail to do your job; neglect a task; loaf. •/Bill isn’t trying to learn his lessons. He is lying down on the job./ •/If you lie down on your job, you will lose it./

[lief] See: AS SOON also AS LIEF, HAD AS SOON also HAD AS LIEF.

[lie in state]{v. phr.} Of a dead person: To lie in a place of honor, usually in an open coffin, and be seen by the public before burial. •/When the president died, thousands of people saw his body lying in state./

[lie in wait]{v. phr.} To watch from hiding in order to attack or surprise someone; to ambush. •/The driver of the stage-coach knew that the thieves were lying in wait somewhere along the road./

[lie low] or {nonstandard} [lay low] {v.}, {informal} 1. To stay quietly out of sight; try not to attract attention; hide. •/After holding up the bank, the robbers lay low for a while./ 2. To keep secret one’s thoughts or plans. •/I think he wants to be elected president, but he is lying low and not saying anything./

[lie through one’s teeth]{v. phr.} To lie uninhibitedly and unashamedly. •/Everyone in the courtroom could sense that the accused was lying through his teeth./

[lie to]{v.} Of a ship: To stay in one place facing against the wind; stop. •/Our ship will lie to outside the harbor until daylight./ Compare: LAY TO(2).

[lieu] See: INSTEAD OF also IN LIEU OF.

[life] See: BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, BIG AS LIFE, CAT HAS NINE LIVES, CHARMED LIFE, COME ALIVE OT COME TO LIFE, FACTS OF LIFE, FOR DEAR LIFE, FOR THE LIFE OF ONE, LEAD A DOG’S LIFE, NIGHT LIFE, NOT ON YOUR LIFE OR ONE’S LIFE, TAKE ONE’S LIFE IN ONE’S HANDS, TIME OF ONE’S LIFE, YOU BET or YOU BET YOUR LIFE, WALK OF LIFE, WITHIN AN INCH OF ONE’S LIFE.

[life of Riley]{n. phr.}, {informal} A soft easy life; pleasant or rich way of living. •/He’s living the life of Riley. He doesn’t have to work anymore./ Compare: BED OF ROSES, IN CLOVER, LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG.

[life of the party]{n. phr.} A person who makes things enjoyable or interesting for a group of people. •/Bill is the life of the party at school. He is always making us laugh./

[lift a finger] or [lift a hand] also [raise a hand] {v. phr.} 1. To do something; do your share; to help. — Usually used in the negative. •/We all worked hard except Joe. He wouldn’t lift a finger./ •/The king did not lift a hand when his people were hungry./ Compare: LEND A HAND.

[light] See: BRING TO LIGHT, COME TO LIGHT, DASH LIGHT, HIDE ONE’S LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL, IN THE LIGHT OF, MAKE LIGHT OF, MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, OUT LIKE A LIGHT, SEE THE LIGHT, TRAVEL LIGHT.

[light-fingered]{adj.} Given to stealing; having a tendency to be dishonest or a kleptomaniac. •/I always suspected that Freddie might be lightfingered and my suspicions were confirmed when he was arrested for shoplifting./

[light housekeeping]{n.}, {slang} An arrangement in which an unmarried couple live together. •/Are Joe and Sue married? — Oh, no, — it’s just a case of light housekeeping./ See: SHACK UP WITH.

[light into] See: LAY INTO.