[low] See: LAY LOW, LIE LOW.
[lowbrow] <n.> A person of limited culture; a nonintellectual. * /Some people claim that only lowbrows read the comics./ Contrast: HIGH BROW.
[lowdown] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> The inside facts of a matter; the total truth. * /Nixon never gave the American people the lowdown on Watergate./
[lower the boom] <v. phr.>, <informal> To punish strictly; check or stop fully. * /The mayor lowered the boom on outside jobs for city firemen./ * /Father lowered the boom on the girls for staying out after midnight./ Syn.: CRACK DOWN. * /The police lowered the boom on open gambling./
[low-key] <adj.> Relaxed and easygoing. * /Surprisingly, dinner with the governor was a low-key affair./
[low season] Contrast: HIGH SEASON.
[luck] See: DOWN ON ONE'S LUCK, LUCK OUT, PRESS ONE'S LUCK or PUSH ONE'S LUCK, IN LUCK, OUT OF LUCK.
[luck out] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. Suddenly to get lucky when in fact the odds are against one's succeeding. * /I was sure I was going to miss the train as I was three minutes late, but I lucked out, the train was five minutes late./ 2. To be extraordinarily fortunate. * /Catwallender really lucked out at Las Vegas last month; he came home with $10,000 in cash./ 3. (By sarcastic opposition) to be extremely unfortunate; to be killed. * /Those poor marines sure lucked out in Saigon, didn't they?/
[lucky] See: THANK ONE'S LUCKY STARS.
[lucky star] <n.> A certain star or planet which, by itself or with others, is seriously or jokingly thought to bring a person good luck and success in life. * /John was born under a lucky star./ * /Ted was unhurt in the car accident, for which he thanked his lucky stars./
[lump in one's throat] <n. phr.> A feeling (as of grief or pride) so strong that you almost sob. * /John's mother had a lump in her throat at his college graduation./ * /All during her husband's funeral, Aunt May had a lump in her throat./ * /The bride's mother had a lump in her throat./
[lump sum] <n.> The complete amount; a total agreed upon and to be paid at one time. * /The case was settled out of court with the plaintiff receiving a lump sum of half a million dollars for damages./
[lunar module (L.M.)] or [Lem] <n.>, <Space English> That portion of the rocket assemblage on a flight to the Moon in which the astronauts descend to the Moon's surface. * /Building the L.M. was one of the most expensive parts of the American space program./
[lung] See: AT THE TOP OF ONE'S VOICE or AT THE TOP OP ONE'S LUNGS.
[lurch] See: LEAVE IN THE LURCH.
[lust for] <v. phr.> To physically yearn for; hanker after; want something very strongly. * /Ed has been lusting after Meg for a very long time./
[luxury] See: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY.
M
[mackerel] See: HOLY CATS or HOLY MACKEREL.
[mad about] <adj. phr.> 1. Angry about. * /What is Harriet so mad about?/ 2. Enthusiastic about. * /Dan is mad about pop music./
[mad as a hatter] or [mad as a March hare] <adj. phr.> Not able to think right; crazy. * /Anyone who thinks the moon is made of green cheese is mad as a hatter./
[mad as a hornet] or [mad as hops] or [mad as a wet hen] <adj. phr.>, <informal> In a fighting mood; very angry. * /When my father sees the dent in his fender, he'll be mad as a hornet./ * /Bill was mad as hops when the fellows went on without him./ * /Mrs. Harris was mad as a wet hen when the rabbits ate her tulips./
[mad as a March hare] See: MAD AS A HATTER.
[mad as hops] See: MAD AS A HORNET.
[made of money] <adj. phr.> Very rich; wealthy. * /Mr. Jones buys his children everything they want. He must be made of money./ Compare: MONEY TO BURN.
[made-to-measure] or [tailor-made] <adj.> Made to fit a special set of measurements or needs. * /John has a new made-to-measure suit./ * /The club is tailor-made for Jane./ Syn.: MADE TO ORDER.
[made to order] <adj. phr.> 1. Made specially in the way the buyer wants instead of all the same in large amounts; made especially for the buyer. * /Mr. Black's clothes were all made to order./ Compare: MADE-TO-MEASURE. 2. Just right. * /The weather was made to order for the hike./
[made up out of whole cloth] See: OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.
[magic carpet] <n.> 1. A rug said to be able to transport a person through the air to any place he wishes. * /The caliph of Baghdad flew on his magic carpet to Arabia./ 2. Any form of transportation that is comfortable and easy enough to seem magical. * /Flying the Concord from Dallas to London seemed like boarding the magic carpet./ * /Mr. Smith's new car drove so smoothly it seemed like a magic carpet./
[maiden speech] <n. phr.> One's first public speech, usually before some legislative body. * /It was the new congressman's maiden speech and everyone was listening very keenly./
[maiden voyage] <n. phr.> The first voyage of a boat. * /The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage to America from England./
[mail order] <n. phr.> A purchase made by mail. * /If you don't have a chance to go to a store, you can sometimes make a purchase by mail order./
[main] See: IN THE MAIN, WITH MIGHT AND MAIN.
[main drag] <n.>, <colloquial> 1. The most important street or thoroughfare in a town. * /Lincoln Avenue is the main drag of our town./ 2. The street where the dope pushers and the prostitutes are. * /Wells Street is the main drag of Chicago, actionwise./
[main squeeze] <n.>, <slang> 1. The top ranking person in an organization or in a neighborhood; an important person, such as one's boss. * /Mr. Bronchard is the main squeeze in this office./ 2. The top person in charge of an illegal operation, such as drug sales, etc. * /Before we can clean up this part of town, we must arrest the main squeeze./ 3. One's principal romantic or sexual partner. * /The singer's main squeeze is a member of the band./
[majority leader] <n.> The leader of the political party with the most votes in a legislative house. * /The majority leader of the House of Representatives tried to get the members of his party to support the bill./ Compare: MINORITY LEADER.
[make] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, HAVE IT MADE, MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, ON THE MAKE.
[make a beeline for] <v. phr.> To go in a straight line toward. * /The runner made a beeline for first base./ * /When the bell rang Ted made a beeline for the door of the classroom./
[make a big deal about] <v. phr.>, <informal> To exaggerate an insignificant event. * /Jeff said, "I'm sorry I banged into you in the dark. Don't make a big deal out of it."/
[make a clean breast of] <v. phr.> To admit (your guilt); tell all about (your wrong doing); confess everything. * /The police caught the hit-and-run driver and he made a clean breast of his crime./ * /Arthur worried because he cheated on the test, and finally he went to the teacher and made a clean breast of it./ Compare: OFF ONE'S CHEST.
[make a clean sweep of] <v. phr.> 1. Achieve a complete victory. * /In 7980 the Reagan Republicans made a clean sweep of the western states./ 2. To eliminate thoroughly and completely. * /The new attorney general is expected to make a clean sweep of all the old administrative personnel./
[make a clown of] See: MAKE A FOOL OF.
[make a day of it] <v. phr.>, <informal> To do something all day. * /When they go to the beach they take a picnic lunch and make a day of it./ Compare: MAKE A NIGHT OF.
[make a dent in] <v. phr.>, <informal> To make less by a very small amount; reduce slightly. - Usually used in the negative or with such qualifying words as "hardly" or "barely". * /John shoveled and shoveled, but he didn't seem to make a dent in the pile of sand./ * /Mary studied all afternoon and only made a dent in her homework./
[make a difference] or [make the difference] <v. phr.> To change the nature of something or a situation; be important; matter. * /John's good score on the test made the difference between his passing or failing the course./ * /It doesn't make a bit of difference if you are late to my party. I just want you to come./
[make a face] <v. phr.>, <informal> To twist your face; make an ugly expression on your face (as by sticking out your tongue). * /The boy made a face at his teacher when she turned her back./ * /The sick boy swallowed the medicine and made a face./
[make a fast buck] See: FAST BUCK.
[make a federal case out of] See: MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT, MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.
[make a fool of] or (informal) [make a monkey of] <v. phr.> To make (someone) look foolish. * /The boy made a fool of himself./ * /Mary's classmates made a fool of her by telling her the party was to be a masquerade./