lift one's hand against
to threaten or attack someone
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
lift someone's spirits
To improve someone's mood or morale
lifting the little finger
Tippling. In holding a tankard or glass, many persons stick out or lift up the little finger.
lig
A lie, a falsehood.—Lancashire. In old ballads the word "lie" is often spelt "LIG." In old Saxon, LIG is to lie, but to lie as in a bed.
light
Credit, trust; "to get a LIGHT at a house" is to get credit. When a man’s credit is stopped, his LIGHT is said to be put out. LIGHT also means life. "I’ll put your LIGHT out" is a murderous threat.
light a fire under
to motivate or prompt someone to take action
light at the end of the tunnel
A sign of hope or improvement after difficulties
light bob
A soldier of the light infantry company.
light bucket
A telescope or other optical instrument with high sensitivity
light comedian
One who takes humorous, but not low, parts. Orlando, in As You Like //, might be taken for a "light comedian'*; Tony Lumpkin (She Stoops to Conquer), and Paul Pry (in Poole's comedy of that name, 1825) are parts for a "low comedian.
light house
A man with a red fiery nose.
light in the loafers
slang for someone suspected of being gay
Light Infantry
In the British Army, infantry carrying less equipment than normal and trained to move at high speed in manoeuvring
light into
to attack or criticize someone or something suddenly and forcefully
light of one's life
A person who brings great joy and happiness to someone's life
light skirt
A woman of loose or immoral character
light someone's ass up
to severely criticize or scold someone
light the blue touchpaper
To provoke a strong reaction or cause trouble
light troops
Lice; the light troops are in full march; the lice are crawling about.
light troops
A term formerly applied to light cavalry, Le. lancers and hussars, who are neither such large men as the "Heavies," nor yet so heavily equipped.
light up
To become brighter or more lively
light up a room
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
light year
This is a term used by scientists as a unit in measuring stellar distances. Light travels at the rate of 186,000 miles a second; a light year, or the distance travelled by light in a year, is, therefore, 5,876,068,880,000 miles.
light-bulb moment
A sudden realization or insight
light-fingered
Thievish, apt to pilfer.
light-heeled
Swift in running. A light-heeled wench; one who is apt, by the flying up of her heels, to fall flat on her back, a willing wench.
lighten someone's purse
to steal someone's money
lighten up
become less serious or tense
lightning
Gin.
lightning
Gin. A flash of lightning; a glass of gin.
lightning
Gin; "flash o’ LIGHTNING," a glass of gin.
lightning conductor
A metal rod raised above a building with one end "in the earth, to carry off the lightning and prevent its injurins the building.
lightning fast
Extremely quick or speedy
lightning in a bottle
Something rare and special that is difficult to repeat or capture
lightning never strikes twice in the same place
An unlikely event will not repeat itself
lightning preservers
The most approved classical preservatives against lightning were
lightning strike
a sudden, unexpected event
lights
A worthless piece of meat; applied metaphorically to a fool, a soft or stupid person.
lights out
completely defeating or outdoing someone
like a bowl in a china shop
Eggcorn of like a bull in a china shop.
like a bull at a gate
To act impulsively and aggressively
like a cat on hot bricks
Very uneasy; not at all "at home" in the situation, whatever it may be.
like a champ
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
like a chicken with the pip
feeling sick or unwell
like a demon
With great energy or intensity
like a duck takes to water
to take to something very quickly and naturally
like a feoose afire
Very rapidly. The phrase alludes to the rapidity with which the old wooden houses with their straw-thatched roofs, were burned down once they caught fire.
like a man possessed
With intense energy or frenzy
like a red rag to a bull
Something that provokes a strong and angry reaction
like a shot
With great rapidity; or, without hesitation, most willingly.
like an owl in an ivy-bush
Having a sapient, vacant look, as some persons have when in their cups; having a stupid vacant stare.
like as two eggs
Exactly alike. They say we are almost as like as eggs. — Winter's Tale, i, 2.
Like author, like book. (John Ray)
The style or quality of a book reflects its author's character
like buggery
Like hell.
like cheese at fourpence
something or someone very scarce or rare
Like cures like. (Strauss, 1994 p. 648)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
like father like son
Alternative form of like father, like son.
like fun
Thoroughly, energetically, with delight. On'y look at the dimmercrats, see what they've done, Jest simply by stickin' together like fun.
like grease through a goose
Very fast.
like hot cakes
Very rapidly; as in "The goods sold like hot cakes." Not so hot, a slang phrase meaning not so good, not very satisfactory.