last year
the year before the current one
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latch onto
To quickly notice and take advantage of an opportunity
latchpan
The lower lip—properly a dripping-pan; "to hang one’s LATCHPAN," to pout, be sulky.—Norfolk.
late lunch makes day go faster
Traditional English proverbial phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
late model
a recent version of something
late to the party
Arriving after something has already begun or ended
Lateran Council
Name given to each of the five oecumenical councils held in the Lateran
latest and greatest
Most recent and best
lathered
Drunk.
lathered up
Excited or agitated, often to the point of being angry or upset
lathy
Thin, slender. A lathy wench; a girl almost as slender as a lath.
Latin fable
Juno appointed him guardian of lo (the cow), but Jupiter caused him to be put to death; whereupon Juno transplanted his eyes into the tafl of her peacock.
latitat
A lawyer.
latitat
A nick-name for an attorney; from the name of a writ.
latitude and longitude
Geographic coordinates used to locate a point on the Earth's surface
lauded to the skies
Extravagantly praised; praised to the heights.
laugh
To laugh on the wrong side of the mouth; to cry. I'll make him laugh on the wrong (or t'other) side of his mouth.
laugh a minute
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
laugh all the way to the bank
to be very happy about making a lot of money
laugh and grow fat
An old saw, expressive of the wisdom of keeping a cheerful mind. One of the works of Taylor, the Water Poet, has the title Laugh and be Fat (about 1625), and. m Trapp's Commentaries (1647), on 2 Thess. in, 1 1, he says, "Whose whole life is to eat and drink . . . and laugh themselves fat.
laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone
Happiness is contagious, but sadness is isolating
laugh before breakfast, cry before supper
Traditional English proverbial phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
laugh in one's sleeve
To secretly laugh or feel amused by something
laugh one's head off
to laugh extremely hard
laugh out of court
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
laugh up one's sleeve
To secretly laugh or be amused by something
laughing gear
The mouth.
Laughing Philosopher
Democntus of Abdera (5th cent. B.C.), who viewed with supreme contempt the feeble powers of man. Cp. WEEPING PHILOSOPHER.
laughing stock
Someone or something ridiculed or mocked by others
laughing tackle
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
laughter is the best medicine
Humor can heal emotional and mental distress
launch
The delivery, or labour, of a pregnant woman; a crying out or groaning.
laundry list
A long list of items, tasks, or complaints
Laurel and Hardy
a famously comedic duo
lavender
Laid up in lavender; pawned.
lavender
"to be laid up in LAVENDER;" to be in pawn; to be out of the way for an especial purpose. From the practice among housewives of placing LAVENDER in drawers in which linen and clothes are to be kept for any period.
law
To give law to a hare; a sporting term, signifying to give the animal a chance of escaping, by not setting on the dogs till the hare is at some distance; it is also more figuratively used for giving any one a chance of succeeding in a scheme or project.
law
"to give LAW to an animal" is a sporting term signifying to give the hare or stag a chance of escaping, by not setting on the hounds till the quarry has run some distance. Also, used for giving any one a chance of succeeding in a difficult undertaking by allowing him so much grace or preliminary notice.
law and order
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
Law Latin
The debased Latin used in legal documents. Cp. DOG LATIN.
Law Lords
Members of the House of Lords who are qualified to deal with the judicial business of the House, i.e. the Lord High Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice, the Master of the Rolls, the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, and such peers as are holding or have held high judicial office.
Law's Babble
See MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE. Lawless Parliament, The. Another name for the Unlearned Parliament (q.v.).
laws
The police.
laws catch flies, but let hornets go free
Strict laws often fail to punish the powerful, while harassing the weak.
laws written in blood
Demades said that the laws of Draco were written in blood, because every offence was punishable by death.
Lawyers' Bags
Some red, some blue. In the Common Law, r^bags are reserved for Q.C.s; but a stuffgownsman may carry one "if pre- sented with it by a silk." Only ra/bags may be taken into Common Law Courts, blue must be carried no farther than the robing-room. In Chancery Courts the etiquette is not so strict.
lax
lacrosse.
lay
Enterprize, pursuit, or attempt: to be sick of the lay. It also means a hazard or chance: he stands a queer lay; i.e. he is in danger. CANT.
lay
A pursuit or practice, a dodge. Term in this sense much used by thieves.
lay an anchor to the windward
Take precautions against a potential problem
lay an egg
to fail or perform poorly
lay at someone's door
to blame someone for something
lay by the heels
to defeat or bring someone down
lay claim
To assert or declare ownership or right to something
lay down the knife and fork
To die. Compare PEGGING-OUT, HOPPING THE TWIG, and similar flippancies.
lay down the law
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
lay down the marker
Set a standard or challenge for others to follow
lay eggs
to fail or produce nothing
lay eyes on
to see someone or something for the first time