Page 266 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

làve through something

snakes could swim. Well, live and learn! lØve in to live at the residence at which one
John didà’t know he should wØter his works.Ł(SaidŁof servants.) In order to
houseplants a lttle extra in the dry win- be here early enough to prepare breakfast,
ter months. When they all died, he said, the cook has to lve in. Mr. Simpoon has
“Live and learn.” a valłt, but he doesn’t lve in.
lØveŁandŁletŁlØve nàt to interfer wiðh other lØveŁin an ivoryŁtower to be aloof from the
people’sŁbusinessŁorŁpreferences.Ł I doà’t realitiesŁof living.Ł( Live can be replacd
care what they do! Live and lłt lve, I al- by aŁ numberŁ of expressionsŁ meaning
wØys say. Your parents are strict. Mine “to dwellŁorŁspendŁtime,” asŁinŁthe firsð
just lve and lłt lve. example.) If you didà’t spłnd so mucð
time in your ivory tower, you’d know what
lØveŁbeyondŁ one’ means to spend more people really think! Many professors are
moneyŁthanŁone canŁafford.Ł(Compare said to live in ivory towers. They doà’t
this with làve within one’s means.) The know what the real world is like.
Browns are dłeply in dłbt becauoe they are
living beyond their means. I kłep a bud- lØveŁitŁup to have an exciting time; to do
get so that I don’t lve błyond my means. what one pleases—regardlessŁof cost—to
please oneself.Ł At the party, John was
lØveŁbyŁ one’ wØts to survive by being clver.
When you’re in the knd of business I’m really lving it up. Come on! Have fun!
in, you have to lve by your wits. John Live it up! They spłnt a włek in Mex-
was orphaned at the age of ten and grew ico living it up and then came home broke.
up lving by his wits. lØveŁoffŁtheŁfatŁofŁtheŁland to grow one’s
lØve for the moment to live without plan- own food; to live on sðored-up resources
ningŁforŁthe future.Ł John has no health or abundant resàurces.Ł If I had a mil-
or lfe nsurance. He lves only for the mo- lion dollars, I’d invest it and live off the
młnt. When you’re young, you tend to fØt of the land. I’ll be happy to retire
lve for the momłnt and not plan for your soon and live off the fØt of the land.
future security. Many farmłrs lve off the fat of the land.
lØveŁfrom hyndŁto mouth to live inŁpoor lØveŁon błrrowedŁtime to live longer than
circumsðances.Ł(Infàrmal.) When both circumsðancesŁwarrant.Ł John has a ter-
my parents were out of work, we lived from mnal disease, and he’s lving on borrowed
hand to mouth. We lved from hand to time. This project is lving on borrowed
mouth during the war. Things were very time. It is overdue for complłtion.
dfficult.
lØveŁoutŁofŁa suitcase to live brieflyŁinŁa
lØveŁhappilyŁeverŁafter to live in happiness place, neverŁunpackingŁone’sŁluggage.Ł
afterŁaŁspecificŁevent.Ł(UsuallyŁfoundŁat I hate lving out of a suitcase. For my next
the endŁof fairyŁtales.) The prince and vacØtion, I want to go to just one place and
the princess lived happily ever after. stay there the whole time. We were lv-
They włnt away from the horrible haunted ing out of suitcases in a motel while they
castle and lved happily ever after. repaired the damage the fire caused to our
house.
lØveŁhØghŁoffŁtheŁhog and lØveŁhighŁon
theŁhog to live wellŁandŁeat goodŁfood. lØveŁ something dłwn to overcome the shame
(Folksy.ŁNote the variation with prłtty. or embarrassment of sàmething. You’ll
Se also eat high on the hog.) After live it down somedØy. T Max will never bł
they discovered oil on their land, they lived able to live down what happłned at the
pretty high on the hog. Looks like wł’re party last night.
lving high off the hog tonight. What’s the
occasion? lØveŁ throughŁ something to endur som-
thing.Ł I thought I’d never be able to lvł
lØveŁhighŁon theŁhog Go to làve hàgh off the through the lecture. It was so boring. I
hog. just can’t live through another dØy like this.

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