Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 501 look to (something) - attend to something, take care of something She is a wonderful nurse and spends a great deal of time looking to the needs of her patients. look up (something) - to search for something in a dictionary or other book I will look up my friend's name in the telephone book. I looked up the word in the dictionary. look up to (someone) - think of someone as a good example to copy, respect someone I look up to the president of our company as someone I would like to copy. . loom large (on the horizon) - something that could be coming as a possible problem/danger/threat A large increase in transportation costs is looming large on the horizon. loose ends - details that are not settled, things that are not finished I have many loose ends to deal with before I go on my holidays. lord it over (someone) - act as the superior and master of someone, be bossy over someone She likes to lord it over the other members of the staff since she became a supervisor. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 502 lose Idioms lose face - be embarrassed or ashamed by an error or failure, lose dignity Our boss lost face when his employees decided not to support him during the meeting. lose ground - go backward, become weaker, not improve The government has been losing ground in their fight against inflation. lose heart - become discouraged The girl has begun to lose heart in her efforts to learn the piano. lose one's cool - lose one's temper The saleswoman lost her cool during a meeting with the chief supplier. lose one's grip - lose a secure grasp or hold of something The rock climber lost his grip and fell off the side of the cliff. lose one's grip - lose control of a situation I think that our boss is losing his grip in his ability to control the workplace. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 503 lose one's head over (someone or something) - become confused or overexcited about someone or something The young woman lost her head when she discovered that she had won the swimming competition. lose one`s marbles - go crazy or act irrationally The man seems to have lost his marbles and doesn`t make any sense at all. lose one`s shirt - lose a lot of money I think that he is going to lose his shirt on the new business venture. lose one`s temper - become angry He lost his temper when the child broke the expensive dish. lose one's touch (with someone or something) - lose one's ability to handle someone or something I think that the horse trainer is losing her touch with the horses that she is training. lose one's train of thought - forget what one was talking or thinking about I lost my train of thought when I was talking on the telephone to my friend. lose one`s way - become lost The first time that she went to London she lost her way. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 504 lose oneself (in something) - become deeply involved in something The violin player always loses herself in her music when she is giving a concert. lose out on (something) - fail to get or take part in something He lost out on a chance to go to Mexico City because he was too busy with other things. lose out to (someone or something) - fail to win, miss first place in a contest Our team lost out to the other team in the soccer tournament. lose sight of (something) - forget something, fail to see something "Don't lose sight of the main reason that you are planning to take the class." lose sleep over (someone or something) - worry about someone or something so that you cannot sleep I have been losing sleep over my inability to solve my recent problems at work. lose touch with (someone) - fail to keep in contact or communication with someone I lost touch with the people who I worked with at my summer job. lose track of (someone or something) - lose contact with someone or something I have lost track of many of my friends from high school. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 505 lose weight - to decrease one's weight I want to lose weight so I have stopped eating sweets. . lost-and-found - a place that handles lost items that other people find I went to the lost-and-found department at the train station to look for my umbrella. lost and gone forever - permanently lost My father's pocket knife is lost and gone forever and we will probably never see it again. a lost cause - a hopeless matter Trying to change the work habits of our secretary is a lost cause. She will never change. lost in thought - busy thinking I was lost in thought when my friend phoned me last night. lost on (someone) - wasted or having no effect on someone My attempt at telling a joke was lost on my former girlfriend. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 506 loud and clear - clear and distinct I could hear the announcement loud and clear. a loudmouth - a noisy, boastful or foolish talker He is a loudmouth and nobody likes him. louse up - throw into confusion, make a mess of something, spoil something She loused up her job interview and has no chance to get the job now. lousy with (something) - something is in abundance, many/much of something The hotel room was lousy with cockroaches. love at first sight - love from the first time that two people see each other It was love at first sight when the young couple met at the photography class. lovely weather for ducks - rainy weather "Lovely weather for ducks," I said when I met my neighbor walking in the rain. lover`s lane - a hidden road or walkway where lovers walk or park their cars in the evening After the movie we drove to the local lover`s lane. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 507 low man on the totem pole - the least important person I am the low man on the totem pole in our company and I have no power at all. the lowdown - the inside facts of a matter, the total truth I met with the speaker after the presentation and he gave me the lowdown on the new computer equipment. lower one's sights - set one's goals lower than they were My cousin did not graduate from university and will have to lower his sights when he begins to look for a job. lower one's voice - speak more softly The usher in the movie theater asked me to lower my voice. lower oneself to (some level) - bring oneself down to a lower level of behavior I do not want to lower myself to the same level as my very incompetent supervisor. lower the boom on (someone) - scold or punish someone severely Our teacher lowered the boom on the students who were late with their homework. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 508 luck out - to suddenly get lucky even though it looks like you won`t succeed He lucked out with the concert tickets and was able to buy four of them. one's lucky stars - a certain star or planet which is thought to bring a person good luck and success in life You can count your lucky stars that you don`t have to work on a rainy day like today. lull before the storm - a quiet period just before a period of great activity or excitement It was the lull before the storm when the school principal walked into the assembly hall to speak to the students about the new policy. lull (someone) into a false sense of security - lead someone to believe that all is well before attacking them The residents of the small community were lulled into a false sense of security when there were no crimes for several years. lull (someone) to sleep - cause someone to fall asleep The mother spent a long time trying to lull her young baby to sleep. lunatic fringe - the more extreme members of a group A small lunatic fringe of protesters caused many problems at the convention. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 509 M mad as a hatter - crazy My neighbor is mad as a hatter and we never know what she will do next. mad as a hornet - very angry Our boss was mad as a hornet when we saw him at the meeting yesterday. made for each other - two people are very well suited romantically The young couple are made for each other and seem to be very happy. made to measure - made especially to fit the measurements of someone When I was working in Hong Kong I purchased several suits that were made to measure. made to order - put together on request My father decided to buy a new computer desk that was made to order. maiden voyage - the first voyage of a ship or boat The maiden voyage of the new cruise ship was popular with many people. Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 510 the main drag - the most important street in a town We spent Saturday evening driving up and down the main drag of the town. make Idioms make a bed - arrange the sheets and blankets of a bed neatly My mother always told me to make my bed when I was a child. make a beeline for (someone or something) - hurry directly toward someone or something When I enter the cafeteria I always make a beeline for the dessert section. make a big deal about (something) - exaggerate the seriousness of something I wish that my friend would not make a big deal about every small problem. make a break for (something/somewhere) - move or run quickly to something or somewhere The audience made a break for the doors as soon as the concert was over. make a bundle/pile - make a lot of money My father made a bundle on the stock market several years ago. . Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com 503 lose one's head over (someone or something) - become confused or overexcited about someone or something The young woman lost her head when she discovered. herself in her music when she is giving a concert. lose out on (something) - fail to get or take part in something He lost out on a chance to go to Mexico City because he was too busy with other. lost-and-found - a place that handles lost items that other people find I went to the lost-and-found department at the train station to look for my umbrella. lost and gone forever - permanently