Important idioms and phrases which start with the letter ‘L and M’
Labour of Jove
Meaning: Something done because of love, but not for monetary gain.
Example: She served her friend in her sickness as a labour of love.
Last word
Meaning: (i) The most modern thing.
Example: This beautiful antique is the last word in the world.
(ii) The final say in deciding something.
She had the last word in the matter concerning her brother’s marriage.
Laugh at
Meaning: (i) Make fun of.
Example: We must not laugh at others, as we are ourselves funny people.
(ii) Be amused.
All of us laughed at his jokes.
Lay aside
Meaning: (i) Put on one side.
Example: You must lay aside all thoughts to concentrate on your studies.
(ii) Save (money) for future use.
The thief stole away all the money that was laid aside by the old lady for her son’s education.
Lay down
Meaning: (i) Sacrifice to.
Example: Our soldiers are always ready to lay down their lives for the nation.
(ii) Put down.
The doctor told Mr. Sinha to lay down on the bed after his first heart attack.
Lay it on with a trowel
Meaning: To praise excessively in an obvious manner.
Example: Please tell me the truth about my portrait. Don’t lay it on with a trowel.
Lay off
Meaning: Discontinue work or activity.
Example: Lay off from dancing, as your sister is studying.
Lay out
Meaning: Exhibit.
Example: The books were wonderfully laid out in the exhibition.
Lay (something) to the heart
Meaning: Think about (something) seriously.
Example: She laid her teacher’s word to her heart and improved her communication skills rapidly.
Lay up
Meaning: (i) Save.
Example: Her mother told her to lay up some money for rainy days.
(ii) Keep in the house or in bed because of sickness or injury.
She was laid up with a toothache.
Gary was laid up with a fractured knee.
Lead astray
Meaning: Guide into a wrong way.
Example: It’s wrong to lead others astray and to ruin their lives.
Lead by the nose
Meaning: Control a person completely.
Example: Some parents lead their children by the nose and spoil their lives.
Lead off
Meaning: Begin, start.
Example: The dancer led off with a famous dance number of a popular movie.
Leave in the lurch
Meaning: Abandon, leave somebody in a helpless condition.
Example: Don’t leave your friend in lurch, when he is in need of your help.
A left handed compliment
Meaning: A remark which though meant to flatter, is not truly a compliment.
Example: He told her that she seemed as beautiful as princess Diana, but she considered it a left-handed compliment.
Lend a hand
Meaning: Make oneself useful.
Example: Please lend a hand to your mother’s work.
Let bygones be bygones
Meaning: Ignore or forget the past.
Example: Don’t create enmity by pondering over the past. Let bygones be bygones.
A lions share
Meaning: The largest share.
Example: The eldest son wanted the lion’s share of his father’s property.
Live up to
Meaning: Prove oneself worthy of.
Example: We must live upto our reputation as men of principles.
Lock, stock and barrel
Meaning: Entirely.
Example: The thief ran away from her house lock, stock and barrel, when he came to know about the arrival of police in her house.
Look down upon
Meaning: To show contempt.
Example: Don’t look down upon poor people. They are also the creation of God.
(A) love match
Meaning: A marriage for love and not for money.
Example: These days very few people have a love match. Most of us marry for wealth or position.
Idioms that start with M
To make a cat’s paw
Meaning: To use somebody as a tool for selfish gains.
Example: Don’t come to his talks. He is making a cat’s paw of you.
Make a clean breast of
Meaning: Confers fully.
Example: He didn’t hide marriage with his girlfriend. He made a clean breast of it.
Make a face
Meaning: Twist one’s face.
Example: Don’t make faces in the class. Sit decently.
Make a fool of
Meaning: Make look foolish.
Example: Don’t make a fool of innocent people. It shall harm you in the long run.
Make a mountain of a mole hill
Meaning: Magnify a small matter.
Example: Some people make a mountain of a molehill and unnecessarily create troubles.
Make a stand
Meaning: Defend one’s point of view firmly.
Example: Make a stand on the side of truth.
Make both ends meet
Meaning: Make one’s income meet the expenditure to keep out of debt.
Example: The labourer has to work hard to make both ends meet.
Make believe
Meaning: Pretend.
Example: The criminals made them believe that they had come for the purpose of business.
Make from
Meaning: Produce.
Example: Paper is made from the wood.
Make fun of
Meaning: Laugh at.
Example: Don’t make fun of poor people. God shall not forgive you.
Make good time
Meaning: Travel rapidly or at good speed.
Example: They made good time on their trip to Darjeeling.
Make it up
Meaning: To become friendly after a quarrel.
Example: Why to become enemies of each other let’s make it up.
Make light of
Meaning: To disregard.
Example: Many of us make a big issue of our small problems, but make light of other’s difficulties.
Make off
Meaning: Go or run away.
Example: The bandit tried to make off, but the crowd caught him and- handed over to the police.
Make one’s mark
Meaning: To distinguish oneself.
Example: She made a mark in sports.
Matter of course
Meaning: The normal expected proceeding.
Example: The men give their seats to old people as the matter of course.
Mince matters
Meaning: Not to talk plainly or bluntly.
Example: You should not mince matters. Why don’t you tell frankly, that you have assaulted him?
Move heaven and earth
Meaning: Make every possible effort.
Example: She moved heaven and earth to get her son released on bail. Moot point: A debatable point.
Whether government would implement this law or not, is a moot point.
Man of parts
Meaning: A man of ability.
Example: He is a man of parts. He has glorious achievements to his credit.
Man of straw
Meaning: Worthless person.
Example: He doesn’t do any productive work. He is a man of straw.
Mean business
Meaning: Be serious about something.
Example: When she said that she would take up your case, she meant business.