Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
live entertainment
live for
live from hand to mouth
live on one’s own
live programming
live theater
live through
live up to
living
living a life of luxury
living expenses
living high on/off the hog
living in the lap of luxury
living large
living like a king/queen
loaded
local color
log in/out
log on/off
loner
long arm of the law
long face
loo/toilet/lavatory/W.C., British
look around
look down on
look down one’s nose
look for
look for (someone/something)
look for a handout
look forward to
look in on
look like a million dollars (bucks)
look on the bright side
look one’s age
look out
look out for number one
look over
look sharp
look sharp/smart
look sheepish
look smart, British
look someone in the face
look something in the face
look through
look up
look up (something)
look up to
looked forward to
looked up to
looker
loose weight
loosen up
loot
lose ground
lose it
lose money
lose one’s cool
lose one’s head
lose one’s job
lose one’s shirt
lose out (on something)
lose the chance/opportunity
losing face
losing one’s job
lounge lizard
love
love affair
love at first sight
love handles
love talk
lovebirds
lovers
lovesick
lovey-dovey
low
low achiever
low man in the totem pole
low rung on the ladder
low-budget movie
lower your voice
low-income
luck out
lush
mad as hell
madder than a wet hen
made by hand
made for each other
made of money
madly in love
main squeeze
maintain your weight
maintaining one’s weight
make a call
make a date
make a decision
make a face
make a face at someone
make a fast buck
make a fortune
make a living
make a living wage
make a mess
make a mint
make a mistake
make a plan
make a point
make a presentation
make a speech
make a success of oneself
make an agreement
make an appointment
make an effort
make an offer
make bank
make big bucks
make conversation
make dinner
make do with
make ends meet
make eyes at
make for
make fun of
make (pull) in six figures
make it
make it legal/official
make it work
make it/things happen
make love
make money
make money hand over fist
make next to nothing
make one’s day
make one’s head spin
make one’s money
make one’s mouth water
make one’s skin crawl
make out
make payments
make peanuts
make plans
make sense
make someone pay
make something of oneself
make something up
make the beds
make the call
make the grade
make things neat/tidy
make time
make tracks
make trouble
make up
make up with
make whoopee
make work for someone
make you laugh
make yourself at home
makes good
make-up test/exam
making a living
making a reservation
making every penny count
making money
making off with
making six figures
making small talk
mama’s boy
man friend
man of his word
manage
Mange!
many thanks
marshmallow
marital bliss
masterpiece
match made in heaven
mate, British
MattandLisa
mattress hair
mature adult
May I use your bathroom?
maybe
maybe not
maybe so
Me Generation
me, me, me
me, myself, and I
measure up
meat market
mega box office hit/success
melodrama
merry-go-round
mess around
mess up
messing around in someone else’s business
messy
met one’s Maker
microbreweries
middle aged
middle-income
midlife crisis
midterm exams
midterms
miffed
mind your manners
mind your own business
mind your Ps and Qs
miss one’s go, British
miss one’s turn
miss out (on something)
miss the chance/opportunity
misses by a mile
missing class
mix up
mixed up
money bags
monkey around
mooch
mooch off of someone
moody
moola
mother’s side
motion pictures
mousy
mouth
mouthful
move
move about, British
move around
move at a snail’s pace
move away
move in
move in/out
move off, British
move on
move out
move over
movie buff
movie theater
moviegoer
movies
moving pictures
mull it over
mull over
multiple choice questions
music lovers
must-see
my better half
my brood
my female/male friend
my foot!
my guy/girl
my man/woman
my mistake
my old lady
my old man
my pleasure
NA (Narcotics Anonymous)
nab
nah
nail polish
nail varnish, British
Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
natural
natural parent
nature lovers
nature-nurture argument
neck
neck of the woods
neck-and-neck
necking
need a hand
needs work
negative
nerd
nest egg
never
never a dull moment
never again
never amount to anything
never better
never fear
never going to live it down
never hear the end of it
never hurts to ask
never in a million years
never mind
never say die
never too late
new hire
new kid on the block
new little one
newlyweds
newsagent, British
newsstand
next to last
niceties
nick, British
nicotine fit
night job
night owl
nightlife
nightspots
nine to five (9 to 5)
nine-to-five job
no
no backbone
no big deal
no buts about it
no can do
no dice
no doubt
no doubt about it
no end
no fair
no fool
no fooling
no fun
no go
no good
no hard feelings
no kidding
No kidding?
no lie
No lie?
no matter what
no need
no pain, no gain
no picnic
no problem
no problem/sweat
no question
no show
no siree
no skin off one’s nose
no sooner said than done
no spring chicken
no strings attached
no such animal
no such thing
no sweat
no use
no way
no wonder
no worries
no-brainer
nod off
no-host bar
non-biological parent
none
none but the best
none the wiser
none the worse for wear
none too
none too soon
non-separable phrasal verbs
nope
nose
nose around
nose to the grindstone
not
not 100%
not a chance
not a day goes by
not again
not all there
not at all
not bad
not be working
not doing well
not fair
not for love or money
not getting along
not give a hoot/darn/damn
not have a leg to stand on
not have work
not if I can help it
not if I have anything to do with it
not if I’m around
not in the least
not looking where one is going
not much
not now
not on my watch
not on your life
not one’s cup of tea
not one’s day
not one’s self
not open one’s mouth
not show one’s face
not that I care
not to worry
not work out
not worth the price of a ticket
Not!
nothing
nothing but the best
nothing but trouble
nothing but work
nothing doing
nothing flat
nothing like it
Nothing much
nothing short of
nothing to do with
nothing to it
nothing to write home about
nouns, American versus British use
nth degree
nuclear family
nuke
number one
numbskull
nurtured
of course
off
off color
off the top of one’s head
off (go) to bed
off you go, British
office job
oh no
okay by/fine with me
old age
old as the hills
old codger
old folks
old geezer
old hand at
old man/lady
old married couple
old timer
oldster
on
on all fours
on and on
on cloud nine
on foot
on hand
on hold
on ice
on my back
on one’s feet
on one’s last leg
on one’s shoulders
on one’s toes
on pins and needles
on second thought
on shaky ground
on the back burner
on the down low (D.L.)
on the job
on the job, British
on the level
on the mend
on the rise
on the road to recovery
on the rocks
on the sly
on the table
on the up and up
on the warpath
on their honeymoon
once in a blue moon
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
one
one act
one and only
one at a time
one by one
one hundred and one reasons
one in a million
one of a kind
one on one
one to one
one too many
one up
one way or another
one-man woman
one’s eyes are bigger than one’s stomach
one’s hands are tied
one’s heart bleeds for someone
one’s heart goes out to someone
one’s luck run out
one’s two cents
one-sided
one-track mind
one-way
one-way ticket
one-woman man
oops
open bar
open book
open one’s eyes
open one’s mouth
open seating
open up
open your eyes
open-book test
opening act
opportunity knocks
opportunity of a lifetime
oral exams
orals
other half
out for oneself
out in a second
out in the open
out like a light
out of a job
out of earshot
out of it
out of one’s hands
out of one’s head
out of shape
out of sorts
out of the blue
out of trouble (danger)
out of work
out on one’s ear
Out with it!
outgoing
over and over
over one’s head
overbooked
overeat
overweight
pack a day
pack of lies
pain in the neck
paint the town red
pair
pal around
parasite
pardon me
Pardon me?
part time
part with
partner
part-time job
party pooper
pass
pass around
pass away
pass in
pass in/out
pass the salt
passed away
passive voice, with phrasal verbs
past one’s prime
pat someone on the back
patch it up
paunch
pay off
pay through the nose
pay up
peals of laughter
peck
pecking order
penny pincher
people person
perfect
perfect couple
Period!
person of means
petting
phony
phrasal verbs
pick up
pick up the pace
pick-up joint/place
picky eater
picture of health
pig sty
pink
pink-collar
pink-collar job/worker
pissed (off)
pissed, American versus British use
pissing down with rain, British
pitch in
place an order
place to lay one’s head
plain as the nose on one’s face
plastic
play a joke on (someone)
play around
play around behind someone’s back