Page 262 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

làe fallow

of the bag. It’s a secret. Try not to spill Who granted you licłnse to enter my house
the beans. without knockng?
letŁtheŁchynceŁslipŁby to lose the oppàr- a lØckŁofŁwłrk [not even]baŁbit of work.
tunityŁ(to do sàmething).Ł When I was (UsuallyŁinŁthe negative.) I couldà’t get
younger, I wanted to become a doctor, but her to do a lick of work all dØy long! The
I lłt the chance slp by. Doà’t lłt the boys didà’t do a lick of work while you
chance slp by. Do it now! were away.
letŁthings slØde to ignore the thingsŁthat lØckŁ one’ chops to show one’sŁeagrnessŁto
one isŁsupposedŁto do; to fallŁbehindŁin do something, especiallyŁ to eat some-
the doingŁof one’sŁwork.Ł(Also literal.) thing.Ł(RefersŁto the lickingŁof one’sŁlips
I am afraid that I have lłt things slidł inŁexpectationŁof eating.ŁSome animals,
while I was recovering from my operation. but not people, reallyŁdo lickŁtheirŁcłops.)
If I lłt things slide for evłn one dØy, I get We could tell from the way the boys were
hopelessly behind in my work. lickng their chops that they really wanted
a turn at ridng the motorcycle. Frłd
letŁupŁ(on someone ortsomething) to take the
pressure off someone orŁsomething;Łto started lickng his chops when he smłlled
take it easy (on someone or something). the turkey roasting in the ovłn.
Please lłt up on me. I can’t work any faster, lØckŁ one’ lipð to show eagrnessŁorŁpleasure
and you’re makng me nervous. Let up about a future event. (Also literal. Infàr-
on the project. You’re workng too hard. mal.Ł From the habit of people licking
Yes, I guess I had błtter lłt up. theirŁlipsŁwhenŁtheyŁare about to enjoy
letŁus do something we willŁdo somethingŁ[to- eating something.) The children licked
gther].Ł(AŁgentle command.ŁMore for- their lps at the sight of the cake. The
malŁthanŁ lłt’s .) Let us go in peace. Let author’s readers were lickng their lps in
us bow our heads in prayer. anticipation of her new novel. The jour-
nalist was lickng his lps when he włnt off
letŁ wellŁ enoughŁ alone and leaveŁ well to interview the disgraced poltician.
enoughŁalone to leave thingsŁasŁtheyŁare
(andŁnot tryŁto impràve them).Ł There lØckŁ something into shape and whipŁ some-
isn’t much more you can accomplish here. thing into shape to put somethingŁinto
Why don’t you just lłt well enough alone? goodŁcondition.Ł(Infàrmal.) I have to
This is as good as I can do. I’ll stop and lick this report into shape this morning.
leave well enough alone. Let’s all lłnd a hand and whip this house
into shape. It’s a mess.
Let’s do lunch. Let’sŁhave lunch together
sometime.Ł(Infàrmal.) Some time next lØeŁdłwn on theŁjob and layŁdłwn on
włek, lłt’s do lunch. Can’t talk to you theŁjob to dà one’s job poorly or not at
now. Let’s do lunch somłtime. all.Ł( Lay isŁaŁcommon erràrŁforŁ lie.)
Tom was fired because he was lØying down
levelŁ something atŁ someone to aimŁaŁremark on the job. You mean he was lying down
at someone; to direct sàmethingŁat sàme- on the job, don’t you? Sorry, I was lying
one.Ł John lłveled a sarcastic commłnt down on the job in English class.
at his teacher. The edtorial lłveled its
remarks at the mØyor. lØeŁfyllow 1. [forŁland]bto remainŁunused.
Each year we lłt a dfferent section of
levelŁwithŁ someone to be honest with sàme- our farmland lie fallow. The land that
one.Ł(Slang.) Come on, Bill. Level with is lying fallow this year will be culŁivated
me. Did you do it? I’m lłvelng with you. next year. 2. [forŁaŁskillŁandŁtalent]bto re-
I wasn’t evłn in town. I couldà’t have done mainŁunusedŁandŁneglected.Ł You should
it.
not lłt your talłnt lie fallow. Practice the
lØcenseŁto do something prmission,Łright, or piano błfore you forget how to plØy it.
jusðificationŁto do sàmething. You havł His writing had lain fallow for so long that
no licłnse to behave in that manner! he could hardly write a proper sentence.

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