PELATIHAN BAHASA INGGRIS: IDIOMS AND PHRASES (L-P)

Labor of love: A labor of love is a project or task undertaking for the interest or pleasure in doing it rather than the reward, financial or otherwise.
Labour of love: A labour of love is a project or task undertaking for the interest or pleasure in doing it rather than the reward, financial or otherwise.
Lame duck: If something or someone is a lame duck, they are in trouble.
Land of nod: If someone has gone to the land of nod, they have fallen asleep or gone to bed.
Landslide victory: A landslide victory is a victory in an election by a very large margin.
Lap dog: A lap dog is a person who is eager to please another at the expense of his or her own needs in order to maintain a position of privilege or favor.
Lap of the gods: If something is in the lap of the gods, it is beyond our control and fate will decide the outcome.
Larger than life: If something is excessive or exaggerated, it is larger than life.
Last hurrah: If an elderly person does something special before they die, it is a last hurrah.
Last laugh: The person who has the last laugh ends up with the the advantage in a situation after some setbacks.
Last straw: The last straw is the final problem that makes someone lose their temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something. It comes from an Arabic story, where a camel was loaded with straw until a single straw placed on the rest of the load broke its back.
Last-ditch: A last-ditch attempt is a desperate attempt that will probably fail anyway.
Laugh a minute: Someone who is a laugh a minute is very funny.
Laugh to see a pudding crawl: (UK) Someone who would laugh to see a pudding crawl is easily amused and will laugh at anything.
Laugh up your sleeve: If you laugh up your sleeve, you laugh at someone secretly.
Laughing stock: If someone becomes a laughing stock they do something so stupid or wrong that no one can take them seriously and people scorn and laugh at them.
Laughter is the best medicine: Laughing is often helpful for healing, especially emotional healing.
Law unto yourself: If somebody's a law unto themselves, they do what they believe is right regardless of what is generally accepted as correct.
Lay a glove on: If you lay a glove on someone, you strike a blow against them in an argument, dispute, etc. (Mostly used in the negative)
Lay down the law: If someone lays down the law, they tell people what to do and are authoritarian.
Lay it on thick: If someone lays it on thick, they make an emotion or experience seem more important or serious than it really is.
Lay of the land: The lay of the land is the way something is organised, runs, is arranged, etc. ('The lie of the land' is also used.)
Lay waste: To lay waste to something is to destroy it.
Lead someone up the garden path: If someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you, or give you false information that causes you to waste your time. 'Lead someone down the garden path' is also used.
Lead with the chin: If someone leads with their chin, they speak or behave without fear of the consequences.
Lean and mean: An organisation that is lean and mean has no excess or unnecessary elements and is very competitive.
Learn the ropes: If you are learning the ropes, you are learning how to do something.
Leave no stone unturned: If you look everywhere to find something, or try everything to achieve something, you leave no stone unturned.
Leave well alone: If you leave something well alone, you keep a safe distance from it, either physically or metaphorically.
Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing: If the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, then communication within a company, organisation, group, etc, is so bad that people don't know what the others are doing.
Left in the dark: If you are left in the dark about something, you aren't given the information that you should have.
Left to your own devices: If someone is left to their own devices, they are not controlled and can do what they want.
Left-handed compliment: A left-handed compliment is one that sounds like praise but has an insulting meaning. ('Backhanded compliment' is an alternative form.)
Legend in your own lunchtime: Somebody who becomes a legend in their own lifetime acquires fame, but often only to a select or specialist audience, while they are still alive.
Lend an ear: If you lend an ear, you listen to what someone has to say. ('Lend your ear' is an alternative form.)
Leopard can't change its spots: This idiom means that people cannot change basic aspects of their character, especially negative ones. ("A leopard doesn't change its spots" is also used.)
Lesser of two evils: Something that is the lesser of two evils, is an unpleasant option, but not as bad as the other.
Let alone: This is used to emphasise how extreme something could be: 'We hadn't got the money to phone home, let alone stay in a hotel.' This emphasises the utter impossibility of staying in a hotel.
Let bygones be bygones: If people decide to let bygones be bygones, they decide to forget old problems or grievances they have with each other.
Let sleeping dogs lie: If someone is told to let sleeping dogs lie, it means that they shouldn't disturb a situation as it would result in trouble or complications.
Let the best be the enemy of the good: If the desire for an unattainable perfection stops someone from choosing good possibilities, they let the best be the enemy of the good.
Let the cat out of the bag: If you accidentally reveal a secret, you let the cat out of the bag.
Let the chips fall where they may: This means that we shouldn't try to control events, because destiny controls them.
Let the devil take the hindmost: This idiom means that you should think of yourself and not be concerned about other people; look after yourself and let the devil take the hindmost.
Let the genie out of the bottle: If people let the genie out of the bottle, they let something bad happen that cannot be put right or controlled.
Let the grass grow round your feet: If you let the grass grow round your feet, you delay doing things instead of taking action.
Let your guard down: If you let your guard down, you relax and stop looking out for danger.
Let your hair down: If someone lets their hair down, they relax and stop feeling inhibited or shy.
Let's call it a day: This is used as a way of suggesting that it is time to stop working on something.
Letter of the law: If people interpret laws and regulations strictly, ignoring the ideas behind them, they follow the letter of the law.
Mad as a badger: If someone is as mad as a badger, they are crazy.
Mad as a bag of hammers: Someone who is as mad as a bag of hammers is crazy or stupid. ('Daft as a bag of hammers' is also used.)
Mad as a cut snake: (AU) One who is mad as a cut snake has lost all sense of reason, is crazy, out of control.
Mad as a hornet: (USA) If someone is as mad as a hornet, they are very angry indeed.
Mad as a March hare: Someone who is excitable and unpredictable is as mad as a March hare.
Mad as a wet hen: If someone is as mad as a wet hen, they are extremely angry.
Made in the shade: One has an easy time in life or in a given situation. Finding things working to one's benefit.
Made of money: If you are made of money, you have a lot of money.
Mailed fist: Someone who rules or controls something with a mailed fist is in absolute control and tolerates no dissent. A mailed fist in a velvet glove is used to describe someone who appears soft on the outside, but underneath is very hard. 'Iron fist' is an alternative form.
Major league: Something major league is very important.
Make a better fist: If someone makes a better fist of doing something, they do a better job.
Make a clean breast: If someone makes a clean breast, they confess in full to something they have done.
Make a killing: If you make a killing, you do something that makes you a lot of money.
Make a meal: If someone makes a meal of something, they spend too long doing it or make it look more difficult than it really is.
Make a mint: If someone is making a mint, they are making a lot of money.
Make a monkey of someone: If you make a monkey of someone, you make them look foolish.
Make a mountain out of a molehill: If somebody makes a mountain out of a molehill, they exaggerate the importance or seriousness of a problem.
Make a pig's ear: If you make a pig's ear of something, you make a mess of it.
Make a pitch: If you make a pitch for something, you make a bid, offer or other attempt to get it.
Make a request: If you request something, or make a request, you are asking for something you want or need.
Make a rod for your own back: If you make a rod for your own back, you make something difficult for yourself.
Make a song and dance: (UK) If someone makes a song and dance, they make an unecessary fuss about something unimportant.
Make a virtue out of necessity: If you make a virtue out of necessity, you make the best of a difficult or unsatisfactory situation.
Make an enquiry: If you make an enquiry, you ask for general information about something.
Make bets in a burning house: (USA) If people are making bets in a burning house, they are engaged in futile activity while serious problems around them are getting worse.
Make ends meet: If somebody finds it hard to make ends meet, they have problems living on the money they earn.
Make hay: If you make hay, or may hay while the sun shines, you take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it arises and do not waste time.
Make headway: If you make headway, you make progress.
Make it snappy: To do something quickly: Make it snappy, will you, because I need help right now.
Make money hand over fist: If you make money hand over fist, you make a lot of money without any difficulty.
Make my day: If something makes your day, it satisfies you or makes you happy.
Make no bones about it: If somebody make no bones about a scandal in their past, they are open and honest about it and show no shame or embarrassment.
Make or break: A make or break decision, stage, etc, is a crucial one that will determine the success or failure of the whole venture.
Make out like a bandit: (USA) If someone is extremely successful in a venture, they make out like a bandit.
Make waves: If someone makes waves, they cause a lot of trouble.
Make you spit: If something makes you spit, it irritates you or makes you angry.
Make your blood boil: If something makes your blood boil, it makes you very angry.
Make your flesh crawl: If something makes your flesh crawl, it really scares or revolts you. ('Make your flesh creep' is an alternative. 'Make your skin crawl' is also used.)
Make your hair stand on end: If something makes your hair stand on end, it terrifies you.
Make your toes curl: If something makes your toes curl, it makes you feel very uncomfortable, shocked or embarrassed.
Make yourself scarce: If someone makes themselves scarce, they go away from a place, especially to avoid trouble or so that they can't be found.
Man Friday: From 'Robinson Crusoe', a 'Man Friday' refers to an assistant or companion, usually a capable one. The common feminine equivalent is 'Girl Friday'. (Also, 'right-hand man'. )
Man in the street: The man in the street is an idiom to describe ordinary people, especially when talking about their opinions and ideas.
Man Of God: A man of God is a clergyman.
Man of his word: A man of his word is a person who does what he says and keeps his promises.
Man of letters: A man of letters is someone who is an expert in the arts and literature, and often a writer too.
Man of means: A man, or woman, of means is wealthy.
Man of parts: A man of parts is a person who is talented in a number of different areas or ways.
Man of straw: A weak person that can easily be beaten of changed is a man of straw.
Man of the cloth: A man of the cloth is a priest.

Nail in the coffin: A nail in someone or something's coffin is a problem or event that is a clear step towards an inevitable failure.
Nail-biter: If a game, election, contest, etc, is a nail-biter, it is exciting because the competitors are so close that it is impossible to predict the result.
Nature abhors a vacuum: This idiom is used to express the idea that empty or unfilled spaces are unnatural as they go against the laws of nature and physics.
Nature of the beast: The basic characteristics of something is the nature of the beast; often used when there's an aspect of something that cannot be changed or that is unpleasant or difficult.
Near the knuckle: If something is near the knuckle, it is bit explicit or too close to the truth for comfort
Neck and neck: If two competitors or candidates, etc, are neck and neck, then they are very close and neither is clearly winning.
Neck of the woods: If someone talks about their neck of the woods, they mean the area where they live.
Need no introduction: Someone who is very famous and known to everyone needs no introduction.
Needle in a haystack: If trying to find something is like looking for a needle in a haystack, it means that it is very difficult, if not impossible to find among everything around it.
Neither fish nor fowl: Something or someone that is neither fish nor fowl doesn't really fit into any one group.
Neither here nor there: If something is neither here nor there, it is of very little importance.
Neither use nor ornament: Something that serves no purpose and is not aesthetically pleasing is neither use nor ornament.
Nerves of steel: If someone has nerves of steel, they don't get frightened when other people do.
Nervous Nellie: Someone excessively worried or apprehensive is a nervous Nellie (or Nelly).
Nest egg: If you have some money saved for the future, it is a nest egg.
Never a rose without the prick: This means that good things always have something bad as well; like the thorns on the stem of a rose.
Never darken my door again: This is a way of telling someone never to visit you again.
Never say die: When someone says "Never Say Die", it means that you shouldn't give up hope.
New blood: If something needs new blood, it has become stale and needs new ideas or people to invigorate it.
New brush sweeps clean: 'A new brush sweeps clean' means that someone with a new perspective can make great changes. However, the full version is 'a new brush sweeps clean, but an old brush knows the corners', which warns that experience is also a valuable thing. Sometimes 'broom' is used instead of 'brush'.
New kid on the block: A new kid on the block is a person who has recently joined a company, organisation, team, etc, and does not know how things work yet.
New lease of life: If someone finds new enthusiasm and energy for something, they have a new lease of life.
New man: (UK) A New man is a man who believes in complete equality of the sexes and shares domestic work equally.
New sheriff in town: This is used when a new authority figure takes charge.
New York minute: (USA) If something happens in a New York minute, it happens very fast.
Newfangled: People who don't like new methods, technologies, etc, describe them as newfangled, which means new but not as good or nice as the old ones.
Nice as pie: If a person is nice as pie, they are surprisingly very kind and friendly. "After our argument, she was nice as pie!"
Nick of time: If you do something in the nick of time, you do it at the very last minute or second.
Nickel tour: (USA) If someone gives you a nickel tour, they show you around a place. ('Fifty-cent tour' is also used.)
Night owl: A night owl is someone who goes to bed very late.
Ninth circle of hell: In Dante's Inferno, the ninth circle of hell is the centre where the worst punishments are found, so it is used idiomatically for something that couldn't get worse.
Nip and tuck: A close contest where neither opponent seems to be gaining the advantage.
Nip at the bit: If someone is nipping at the bit, they are anxious to get something done and don't want to wait.
Nip it in the bud: If you nip something in the bud, you deal with a problem when it is still small, before it can grow into something serious.
Nitty gritty: If people get down to the nitty gritty, they concentrate on the most important and serious issues.
No bed of roses: If something isn't a bed of roses, it is difficult.
No can do: No can do means that the speaker can't do whatever it is that has been asked of him or her.
No dice: No dice is a way of refusing to accept or agree to something.
No dog in this fight: If you have no dog in a fight, you are not concerned and will not be affected either way by the outcome of something.
No go: Something that will not work. 'A square peg in a round hole is a no go.'
No good deed goes unpunished: This means that life is unfair and people can do or try to do good things and still end up in a lot of trouble.
No great shakes: If someone is no great shakes at something, they are not very good at it.
No harm, no foul: There's no problem when no harm or damage is done, such as the time my sister-in-law stole the name we'd chosen for a boy and we both ended up having girls.
No holds barred: If there are no holds barred, there are no rules of conduct; you can do anything.
No ifs or buts: Ifs and Buts is a term used to describe the reasons people give for not wanting to do something. To show that you don't wish to accept any excuses, you can tell somebody that you wish to hear no ifs or buts Here IF & BUT have become nouns
No laughing matter: Something that is no laughing matter is very serious.
No love lost: If there is no love lost between two people they have a strong enmity towards or hate for the other and make no effort to conceal it.
No pain, no gain: Achievements require some sort of sacrifice.
No quarter: This means without mercy. We can say no quarter given or asked.
No question: This idiom means that something is certain or definite.
Object lesson: An object lesson serves as a warning to others. (In some varieties of English 'abject lesson' is used.)
Odds and ends: Odds and ends are small, remnant articles and things- the same as 'bits and bobs'.
Off colour: If someone looks off colour/color, they look ill.
Off the beaten track: Somewhere that's off the beaten track is in a remote location.
Off the chart: If something goes off the chart, it far exceeds the normal standards, good or bad, for something.
Off the cuff: If you do something off the cuff, you do it without any preparation.
Off the grid: Someone who is off the grid lives outside society and chooses not to follow its rules and conventions.
Off the hook: If someone is off the hook, they have avoided punishment or criticism for something they have done.
Off the mark: If something is off the mark, it is inaccurate or incorrect.
Off the rails: If someone has gone off the rails, they have lost track of reality.
Off the record: Something off the record is said in confidence because the speaker doesn't want it attributed to them, especially when talking to the media.
Off the scale: If something goes off the scale, it far exceeds the normal standards, good or bad, for something.
Off the shelf: If a product is off the shelf, it can be used straightaway without any setting-up.
Off the top of your head: If you say something off the top of your head, you don't think about it beforehand.
Off the track: If something puts or throws you off your track, it distracts you or keeps you from achieving what you want.
Off the wall: Something that is off the wall is unconventional.
Off your chump: (UK) If someone is off their chump, they are crazy or irrational.
Off your rocker: (UK) Someone who is off their rocker is crazy.
Off-hand: Off-hand means without preparation. People say that they don't know the answer off-hand, meaning that they don't know it at that time.
Oh, my goodness!: An expression of surprise.
Old chestnut: An old chestnut is something that has been repeated so many times that it has lost its impact.
Old flames die hard: It's very difficult to forget old things, especially the first love.
Old friends and old wine are best: This idiom means that the things and people that we know well are better than the unfamiliar.
Old hat: If something's old hat, it seems rather old fashioned and dated.
Old wive's tale: A proverb or piece of advice that is commonly accepted as truth and is handed down the generations, but is normally false.
Older than dirt: Something or someone's that's older than the dirt is extremely old.
Older than dirt: Something or someone that's older than dirt is very old indeed.
Older than the hills: Something or someone's that's older than the hills is extremely old.
Oldest trick in the book: The oldest trick in the book is a well-known way of deceiving someone, though still effective.
Olive branch: If you hold out or offer an olive branch, you make a gesture to indicate that you want peace.
On a fishing expedition: If someone is on a fishing expedition, they are trying to get information, often using incorrect or improper ways to find things out.
On a mission: Being on a mission refers to acting in a determined way and so focus in doing something that he/she is oblivious of anything else around him/her.
On a roll: If you're on a roll, you're moving from success to success.
On a shoogly peg: (Scot) Something, like a person's job, that's on a shoogly peg is insecure.
On a silver platter: If you hand or give something on a silver platter to someone, you let them have it too easily.
On all fours: If someone is on all fours, they crawl.
On Carey Street: (UK) If someone is on Carey Street, they are heavily in debt or have gone bankrupt.
On fire: If you're on fire, you're doing really well at something.
On good terms: If people are on good terms, they have a good relationship.
On hold: If something is on hold, no action is being taken.
On ice: If plans are put on ice, they are delayed and no action will be taken for the foreseeable future.
On my back: If people are on your back, they are bothering or nagging you.
On pins and needles: If you are on pins and needles, you are very worried about something.
On tenterhooks: This means that she is waiting impatiently and excitedly for something.
On the ball: If someone's on the ball, they are well-informed and know what's going on in their area of responsibility or interest.
On the blink: (UK) Is a machine is on the blink, it isn't working properly or is out of order.
On the blower: (UK) If someone is on the blower, they are on the phone.
On the cards: (UK) If something is in the cards, it is almost certain to happen.
On the carpet: When you are called to the bosses office (since supposedly, they are the only ones who have carpet) and its definitely not for a good reason, i.e., you are in trouble, something has not gone according to plan and either maybe you are responsible and/or have some explaining to do.
On the case: If someone is on the case, they are dealing with a problem.

Packed like sardines: If a place is extremely crowded, people are packed like sardines, or packed in like sardines.
Paddle your own canoe: (USA) If you paddle your own canoe, you do things for yourself without outside help.
Pain in the neck: If someone is very annoying and always disturbing you, they are a pain in the neck. Pain in the butt, or pain in the ass (USA), and Pain in the arse (UK) are less polite alternative forms.
Paint the town red: If you go out for a night out with lots of fun and drinking, you paint the town red.
Paint yourself into a corner: (USA) If someone paints themselves into a corner, they get themselves into a mess.
Painted Jezebel: A painted Jezebel is a scheming woman.
Pandora's box: If you open a Pandora's box, something you do causes all sorts of trouble that you hadn't anticipated.
Paper over the cracks: If you paper over the cracks, you try to make something look or work better but only deal with superficial issues, not the real underlying problems.
Paper tiger: A paper tiger is a person, country, institution, etc, that looks powerful, but is actually weak.
Par for the course: If something is par for the course, it is what you expected it would be. If it is above par, it is better, and if it is below par, it is worse.
Parrot fashion: If you learn something parrot fashion, you learn it word for word. A parrot is a bird from South America that can talk.
Part and parcel: If something is part and parcel of your job, say, it is an essential and unavoidable part that has to be accepted.
Pass muster: If something passes muster, it meets the required standard.
Pass the buck: If you pass the buck, you avoid taking responsibility by saying that someone else is responsible.
Pass the hat: If you pass the hat, you ask a people in a group to give money.
Pass the time of day: If you pass the time of day with somebody, you stop and say hello, enquire how they are and other such acts of social politeness.
Pastoral care: This is used in education to describe the aspect of care offered to pupils that cover things besides learning.
Patience of Job: If something requires the patience of Job, it requires great patience.
Pay on the nail: If you pay on the nail, you pay promptly in cash.
Pay peanuts: If some is paid peanuts, their salary is very low.
Pay the piper: When you pay the piper, you have to accept the consequences of something that you have done wrong or badly.
Pay through the nose: If you pay through the nose for something, you pay a very high price for it.
Pay your dues: If you have paid your dues, you have had your own struggles and earned your place or position.
Pea soup: Pea soup or pea souper can be used to describe dense fog.
Peanut gallery: An audience that interrupts, boos or heckles a performer, speaker, etc, is a peanut gallery.
Pecking order: The pecking order is the order of importance or rank.
Peeping Tom: A peeping Tom is someone who tries to look through other people's windows without being seen in order to spy on people in their homes.
Pen is mightier than the sword: The idiom 'the pen is mightier than the sword' means that words and communication are more powerful than wars and fighting.
Pennies on the dollar: (USA) If something is pennies on the dollar, it's much cheaper than it cost originally.
Penny ante: (USA) Something that is very unimportant is penny ante.
Penny pincher: A penny pincher is a mean person or who is very frugal.
Penny wise, pound foolish: Someone who is penny wise, pound foolish can be very careful or mean with small amounts of money, yet wasteful and extravagant with large sums.
People person: Someone who enjoys interacting with people as part of their job
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones: People should not criticize other people for faults that they have themselves.
Pep talk: When someone gives you a pep talk it is to build you up to help you accomplish something. In sports a coach might give a player a pep talk before the game to bolster his confidence. At work the boss might give you a pep talk to get you to do a better job.
Perfidious Albion: England is known to some as perfidious Albion, implying that it is not trustworthy in its dealings with foreigners.
Perish the thought: Perish the thought is an expression meaning that you really hope something will not happen.
Pet peeve: A pet peeve is something that irritates an individual greatly.
Photo finish: A photo finish is when two contestants (usually in a race) finish at almost exactly the same time, making it difficult to determine the winner. (The saying stems from the practice of taking a photograph when the winners cross the finish line to determine who was ahead at the time.)
Pick someone's brains: If you pick someone's brains, you ask them for advice, suggestions and information about something they know about.
Pick up the pace: To speed things up
Pick up the tab: A person who pays for everyone picks up the tab.
Pick-up game: (USA) A pick-up game is something unplanned where people respond to events as they happen.
Picture perfect: When something is exactly as it should be it is said to be picture perfect.
Pie in the sky: If an idea or scheme is pie in the sky, it is utterly impractical.
Piece of cake: If something is a piece of cake, it is really easy.
Pieces of the same cake: Pieces of the same cake are things that have the same characteristics or qualities.
Pig in a poke: If someone buys a pig in a poke, they buy something without checking the condition it was in, usually finding out later that it was defective.
Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered: (USA) This idiom is used to express being satisfied with enough, that being greedy or too ambitious will be your ruin.
Pigs might fly: If you think something will never happen or succeed, you can say that 'pigs might fly' (or 'pigs can fly' and 'pigs will fly'- the idiom is used in many forms)

PELATIHAN BAHASA INGGRIS

Rabu, 15 Juni 2011

IDIOMS AND PHRASES (L-P)

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