land legs
to regain balance and stability on land after being at sea
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
land of opportunity
A place with many chances to succeed or improve one's life
Land Office Business
The U.S. government in the last century set up offices for the allot- ment of Government land. The rush of citizens to claim land at these offices led to the use of the above phrase, meaning a tremendous amount of business, or a rush of business.
land on
to arrive or come into contact with something
land on one's feet
To recover quickly from a difficult situation
land poor
Having a lot of land but not enough money
land the plane
To successfully complete a project or task
land-lubber
Sea term for "a landsman." See LOAFER.
land-shark
A sailor’s definition of a lawyer.
landing strip
A cleared or marked area for aircraft to land
lane
A familiar term for Drury Lane Theatre, just as Covent Garden Theatre is constantly spoken of as "the Garden."
Lang Syne
In the olden time, in days gone by. Auld Lang Syne, usually attributed to Robert Burns, is really a new version by him of a very much older song: in Watson's Collection (1711) it is attributed to Francis Sempill (d. 1682), but it is probably even older. Burns says in a letter to Thomson, "It is the old song of the olden times, which has never been in print. ...
langer
Fool; idiot; annoying or contemptible person (usually male).
lank sleeve
The empty sleeve of a one armed man. A fellow with a lank sleeve; a man who has lost an arm.
lansprisado
One who has only two-pence in his pocket. Also a lance, or deputy corporal; that is, one doing the duty without the pay of a corporal. Formerly a lancier, or horseman, who being dismounted by the death of his horse, served in the foot, by the title of lansprisado, or lancepesato, a broken lance.
lantern jaws
Cheeks so thin and hollow that one may almost see daylight through them, as light shows through the horn of a lantern.
Lantern Land
The land 9f literary charla- tans, pedantic graduates in arts, doctors, professors, prelates, and so on ridiculed as "Lanterns" by Rabelais (with a side allusion to the divines assembled in conference at the Council of Trent) in his Pantagruel, v, 33, Cp. CITY OF LANTERNS.
lanthorn-jawed
Thin-visaged: from their cheeks being almost transparent. Or else, lenten jawed; i.e. having the jaws of one emaciated by a too rigid observation of Lent. Dark lanthorn; a servant or agent at court, who receives a bribe for his principal or master.
lap
Butter-milk or whey. CANT.
lap
Liquor, drink. LAP is the term invariably used in the ballet girls’ dressing-room for gin.
lap and gap
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
lap of luxury
A state of great comfort and wealth
Lares and Penates
Used as a collective ex- Eression for home, and for those personal elongmgs that make home homely and individual. In ancient Rome the lares (sing. lar) were the household gods, usually deified ancestors or heroes; the penates were also guardian deities of the household (and the State), but were more in the nature of personi- fications of the natural powers, their duty being to bring wealth and plenty rather than to protect and ward off danger.
large and in charge
In control and confident
large as life
Of the same size as the object represented.
lark
A piece of merriment. People playing together jocosely.
lark
A frolic, a joke; "let’s have a jolly good LARK," let us have a piece of fun.—Anglo-Saxon, LAC, sport; but more probably from the nautical term SKYLARKING, i.e., mounting to the highest yards and sliding down the ropes for amusement, which is allowed on certain occasions.
LARPie
A LARPer.
larrence
An imaginary being, supposed by the Scottish peasantry to have power over indolent persons. Hence laziness is often called LARRENCE.
larruping
A good beating or hiding.—Irish.
Larry Dooley
A beating, a hiding, a ticking-off; aggro.
larry dugan's eye water
Blacking: Larry Dugan was a famous shoe-black at Dublin.
lashed
Drunk.
lashins
Large quantities; as, "LASHINS of whisky." An Irishism in common use.
last burst of fire
A final effort or display of energy before something ends
last but not least
Important or notable, despite being mentioned last
last cast
a final attempt or effort
last chicken in the shop
The penis.
last full measure
Greatest effort or sacrifice
last hurrah
A final effort or performance before retiring or ending
last mile
The final stage of a project or process
last minute
At the latest possible time
last month
the month before this one
last nail in the coffin
The final event that leads to failure or defeat
last of the big spenders
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Last of the Greeks
Philopcemen, of Mega- lopolis, whose great object was to infuse into the Achasans a military spirit, and establish their independence (252-183 B.C.).
Last of the Romans
A title, or sobriquet, given to a number of historical characters, among whom are —
last refuge
A final option or resort when all else fails
last resort
The final option when all else fails
last roundup
the final event or occasion
last summer
the summer before the current year
Last Supper
A final meal before a significant event or departure
Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci's famous picture of this was painted on a wall of the refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, in 1494-97. The artist varied the normal tempera with a formula of his own which was not a success, hence the painting wore badly with time.
last thing
The last item or detail to be considered.
last thing one needs
an additional problem when one already has enough troubles
last time
on the previous occasion
last trump
a final or decisive event
last week
the week before this one
last weekend
the weekend that has just passed
last will and testament
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.