Commonly used english part 51 potx

lose Idioms lose face - be embarrassed or ashamed by an error or failure, lose dignity Our boss lost face when his employees decided not to support him during the meeting.. lose one's co

look to (something)

- attend to something, take care of something

She is a wonderful nurse and spends a great deal of time looking to the needs of her patients

look up (something)

- to search for something in a dictionary or other book

I will look up my friend's name in the telephone book

I looked up the word in the dictionary

look up to (someone)

- think of someone as a good example to copy, respect someone

I look up to the president of our company as someone I would like to copy

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loom large (on the horizon)

- something that could be coming as a possible problem/danger/threat

A large increase in transportation costs is looming large on the horizon

loose ends

- details that are not settled, things that are not finished

I have many loose ends to deal with before I go on my holidays

lord it over (someone)

- act as the superior and master of someone, be bossy over someone

She likes to lord it over the other members of the staff since she became a supervisor

lose Idioms

lose face

- be embarrassed or ashamed by an error or failure, lose dignity

Our boss lost face when his employees decided not to support him during the meeting

lose ground

- go backward, become weaker, not improve

The government has been losing ground in their fight against inflation

lose heart

- become discouraged

The girl has begun to lose heart in her efforts to learn the piano

lose one's cool

- lose one's temper

The saleswoman lost her cool during a meeting with the chief supplier

lose one's grip

- lose a secure grasp or hold of something

The rock climber lost his grip and fell off the side of the cliff

lose one's grip

- lose control of a situation

I think that our boss is losing his grip in his ability to control the workplace

lose one's head over (someone or something)

- become confused or overexcited about someone or something

The young woman lost her head when she discovered that she had won the swimming competition

lose one`s marbles

- go crazy or act irrationally

The man seems to have lost his marbles and doesn`t make any sense at all

lose one`s shirt

- lose a lot of money

I think that he is going to lose his shirt on the new business venture

lose one`s temper

- become angry

He lost his temper when the child broke the expensive dish

lose one's touch (with someone or something)

- lose one's ability to handle someone or something

I think that the horse trainer is losing her touch with the horses that she is training

lose one's train of thought

- forget what one was talking or thinking about

I lost my train of thought when I was talking on the telephone to my friend

lose one`s way

- become lost

The first time that she went to London she lost her way

lose oneself (in something)

- become deeply involved in something

The violin player always loses herself in her music when she is giving a concert

lose out on (something)

- fail to get or take part in something

He lost out on a chance to go to Mexico City because he was too busy with other things

lose out to (someone or something)

- fail to win, miss first place in a contest

Our team lost out to the other team in the soccer tournament

lose sight of (something)

- forget something, fail to see something

"Don't lose sight of the main reason that you are planning to take the class."

lose sleep over (someone or something)

- worry about someone or something so that you cannot sleep

I have been losing sleep over my inability to solve my recent problems at work

lose touch with (someone)

- fail to keep in contact or communication with someone

I lost touch with the people who I worked with at my summer job

lose track of (someone or something)

- lose contact with someone or something

I have lost track of many of my friends from high school

lose weight

- to decrease one's weight

I want to lose weight so I have stopped eating sweets

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lost-and-found

- a place that handles lost items that other people find

I went to the lost-and-found department at the train station to look for my umbrella

lost and gone forever

- permanently lost

My father's pocket knife is lost and gone forever and we will probably never see it again

a lost cause

- a hopeless matter

Trying to change the work habits of our secretary is a lost cause She will never change

lost in thought

- busy thinking

I was lost in thought when my friend phoned me last night

lost on (someone)

- wasted or having no effect on someone

My attempt at telling a joke was lost on my former girlfriend

loud and clear

- clear and distinct

I could hear the announcement loud and clear

a loudmouth

- a noisy, boastful or foolish talker

He is a loudmouth and nobody likes him

louse up

- throw into confusion, make a mess of something, spoil something

She loused up her job interview and has no chance to get the job now

lousy with (something)

- something is in abundance, many/much of something

The hotel room was lousy with cockroaches

love at first sight

- love from the first time that two people see each other

It was love at first sight when the young couple met at the photography class

lovely weather for ducks

- rainy weather

"Lovely weather for ducks," I said when I met my neighbor walking in the rain

lover`s lane

- a hidden road or walkway where lovers walk or park their cars in the evening

After the movie we drove to the local lover`s lane

low man on the totem pole

- the least important person

I am the low man on the totem pole in our company and I have no power at all

the lowdown

- the inside facts of a matter, the total truth

I met with the speaker after the presentation and he gave me the lowdown on the new computer equipment

lower one's sights

- set one's goals lower than they were

My cousin did not graduate from university and will have to lower his sights when he begins to look for a job

lower one's voice

- speak more softly

The usher in the movie theater asked me to lower my voice

lower oneself to (some level)

- bring oneself down to a lower level of behavior

I do not want to lower myself to the same level as my very incompetent supervisor

lower the boom on (someone)

- scold or punish someone severely

Our teacher lowered the boom on the students who were late with their homework

luck out

- to suddenly get lucky even though it looks like you won`t succeed

He lucked out with the concert tickets and was able to buy four of them

one's lucky stars

- a certain star or planet which is thought to bring a person good luck and success in life

You can count your lucky stars that you don`t have to work on a rainy day like today

lull before the storm

- a quiet period just before a period of great activity or excitement

It was the lull before the storm when the school principal walked into the assembly hall to speak to the students about the new policy

lull (someone) into a false sense of security

- lead someone to believe that all is well before attacking them

The residents of the small community were lulled into a false sense of security when there were no crimes for several years

lull (someone) to sleep

- cause someone to fall asleep

The mother spent a long time trying to lull her young baby to sleep

lunatic fringe

- the more extreme members of a group

A small lunatic fringe of protesters caused many problems at the convention

M

mad as a hatter

- crazy

My neighbor is mad as a hatter and we never know what she will do next

mad as a hornet

- very angry

Our boss was mad as a hornet when we saw him at the meeting yesterday

made for each other

- two people are very well suited romantically

The young couple are made for each other and seem to be very happy

made to measure

- made especially to fit the measurements of someone

When I was working in Hong Kong I purchased several suits that were made to measure

made to order

- put together on request

My father decided to buy a new computer desk that was made to order

maiden voyage

- the first voyage of a ship or boat

The maiden voyage of the new cruise ship was popular with many people

the main drag

- the most important street in a town

We spent Saturday evening driving up and down the main drag of the town

make Idioms

make a bed

- arrange the sheets and blankets of a bed neatly

My mother always told me to make my bed when I was a child

make a beeline for (someone or something)

- hurry directly toward someone or something

When I enter the cafeteria I always make a beeline for the dessert section

make a big deal about (something)

- exaggerate the seriousness of something

I wish that my friend would not make a big deal about every small problem

make a break for (something/somewhere)

- move or run quickly to something or somewhere

The audience made a break for the doors as soon as the concert was over

make a bundle/pile

- make a lot of money

My father made a bundle on the stock market several years ago