a king's bad bargain
Said of a soldier (or sailor) who turns out a malingerer or to be of no use; in allusion to the shilling formerly given by the recruiting sergeant to a soldier on enlistment.
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a knock-about turn
A music-hall term for a 'noisy, boisterous act in which (usually) a. icouple of red-nosed comedians indulge in ^violent horseplay.
a knowing card
A sharp fellow, next door to a sharper. The allusion is to cardsharpers and their tricks.
a labour of love
Work undertaken for the love of the thing, without regard to pay.
a lame duck
A stock-jobber or dealer who will not, or cannot, pay his losses. He has to "waddle out of the alley like a lame duck.
a land of mflk and honey
One abounding in all good things, or of extraordinary fertility. Joel lii, 18, speaks of "the mountains flowing with milk and honey." Figuratively used to denote the blessings of heaven.
a language is a dialect with an army and navy
A language's status depends on the power of its speakers
a large number of something
a great quantity of something
a lash of scorpions
A specially severe punishment, in allusion to the biblical passage: —
a leading card
The strongest point in one's argument, etc. ; a star actor. In card games a person leads from his strongest suit.
a leap in the dark
A step the consequences of which cannot be foreseen. Thomas Hobbes is reported to have said on his death-bed, "Now am I about to take my last voyage — a great leap in the dark " Hallam considered this term to apply to the period lasting from A.D. 475 to about the middle of the 12th century; in 1868 Lord Derby applied the words to the Reform Bill.
a led captain
An obsequious person, who dances attendance on the master and mistress of a house, for which service he has a knife and fork at the dinner table.
a left-handed compliment
A compliment which insinuates a reproach.
a left-handed marriage
A morganatic marriage (#.v.), in which the husband gave his left hand to the bride instead of the right, when saying, "I take thee for my wedded wife.
a leopard cannot change its spots
A person's nature cannot be changed
a lick and a promise
To give a lick and a promise to a piece of work is to do it in a hasty and superficial way — as a cat might give its dirty face one quick lick of its tongue with a promise of more cleaning later.
a lie can go halfway around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots
False information spreads quickly, while truth takes time to catch up
a lie hath no feet
Because it cannot stand alone. In fact, a lie wants twenty others to support it, and even then is in constant danger of tripping. Cp. LIAR (Liars should have good memories).
a little
Common English phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
a little bird told me so
From Eccles. x, 20; "Curse not the king, no not in thy thought, ... for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
a little bit
Common English phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
a little bit of bread and no cheese
Having some resources, but not enough to be sufficient
a little bit of fluff
Edwardian slang for a girl, especially a lively one of the fluffy variety.
a little from column A, a little from column B
Taking a combination of options or ideas from different sources
a little help
Some assistance or support
a little learning is a dangerous thing
Limited knowledge can lead to overconfidence and mistakes
a little money
a small amount of money
a little more
a small additional amount
a little of something goes a long way
A small amount can be very effective or have a big impact.
a little pot is easily hot
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
a little pot is soon hot
A small person is quickly "riled." Grumio makes humorous use of the phrase in The Taming of the Shrew (iv, 1).
a little sugar
something pleasant that makes a difficult situation more acceptable
a long time
a large amount of time
a long time ago
At a point far in the past
a long way
a significant distance or amount of time
a loose card
A worthless fellow who lives on the loose. A loose card is a card of no value, and consequently the properest to throw away. — HOYIE: Games, etc.
a loose fish
A man of loose or dissolute habits. Fish as applied to a human being usually carries with it a mildly derogatory implication.
A losing trade, I assure you, sir; literature is a drug. (George Borrow)
Writing is an all-consuming and potentially destructive passion
a lot more
a significantly greater amount or degree
a lot of something
A large quantity of something
a lot to do
Many tasks or activities to complete
a lucky stone
A stone with a natural hole through it. Cp. LUCK PENNY.
a man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills
People have control over their actions, but not over their desires or intentions.
a man of colour
An old-fashioned term for a Negro, or, more strictly speaking, one with Negro blood.
A man of Kent
One born east of the Med- way. These men went out with green boughs to meet the Conqueror, and obtained in conse- quence a confirmation of their ancient privi- leges from the new king.
a man of parts
An accomplished man ; one who is clever, talented, or of high intellectual ability.
a man of straw
A man without means, with no more substance than a straw doll; also, an imaginary or fictitious person put forward for some reason.
a man of wax
A model man; like one fashioned in wax. Horace speaks of the "waxen arms of Telephus," meaning model arms, or of perfect shape and colour; and the nurse says of Romeo, "Why, he's a man of wax (i, 3), which she explains by saying, "Nay, he's a flower, i* faith a very flower.
a man of words and not of deeds, is like a garden full of weeds
Someone who talks a lot but does little is unproductive
a man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools
One who neglects their health is like a worker neglecting their essential equipment
a man with no pants fears no pickpocket
Someone with nothing to lose has nothing to fear
A man's best fortune or his worst is a wife. (Strauss, 1994 p. 65)
Marriage can greatly improve or worsen a man's life
a man's folly ought to be his greatest secret
One should keep their mistakes or foolish actions private.
A man's worst enemies are often those of his own house. (Strauss, 1994 p. 52)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
a means of communication
A method or system for conveying information
a means of something
a way or method to achieve something
a means of transport
a vehicle or system for traveling
a mere flash in the pan
All sound and fury, signifying nothing; like the attempt to dis- charge an old flint-lock gun that ends with a flash in the lock-pan, the gun itself "hanging fire." lilat* One who is not sharp.
a mill cannot grind with the water that is past
One cannot change the past
a miss by an inch is a miss by a mile
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.