Phrases Beginning With L
English Phrases, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because Phrases don’t always make sense literally, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning Phrases is fun, especially when you compare English Phrases to the Phrases in your own language.
List of Phrases Beginning With L
- Labor of Love
- Last but not least
- Last laugh
- Last straw
- Laugh all the way to the bank
- Laughing stock
- Law of the jungle
- Lay down the law
- Lead by example
- Lead someone astray
- Leading light
- Leap of faith
- Leave no stone unturned
- Left in the lurch
- Left out in the cold
- Leg to stand on
- Let bygones be bygones
- Let off steam
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Let the chips fall where they may
- Let your hair down
- Letter of the law
- Level playing field
- Light at the end of the tunnel
- Lighten up
- Like a fish out of water
- Like father, like son
- Like taking candy from a baby
- Like two peas in a pod
- Live and learn
- Live and let live
- Living on borrowed time
- Long and short of it
- Long shot
- Look before you leap
- Look on the bright side
- Lose your marbles
- Lose your temper
- Lost cause
- Low-hanging fruit
- Luck of the draw
- Lucky break
- Lurking in the shadows
- Let Bygones Be Bygones
- Let Her Rip
- Let The Cat Out Of The Bag
- Lickety-Split
- Lightning Never Strikes The Same Place Twice
- Like Father, Like Son
- Like Shooting Fish In a Barrel
- Long In The Tooth
- Love Birds
- Last Straw
- Laughing Stock
- Learn The Ropes
- Leg Up
- Less Is More
- Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
- Let Your Hair Down
- Level Playing Field
- Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
- Like a Moth To a Flame
- Long Time No See
- Low Hanging Fruit
Phrases Beginning With L with Meaning and Example
Here’s a list of “Phrases Beginning With L” in English:
Labor of Love
Meaning: A task done for pleasure, not for reward.
Example: Building that garden was a labor of love for her.
Last but not least
Meaning: Something that is equally important though mentioned last.
Example: Last but not least, I’d like to thank my parents for their support.
Last laugh
Meaning: To succeed when others thought you would not.
Example: He had the last laugh when he won the award everyone thought he would never get.
Last straw
Meaning: The final problem in a series of problems.
Example: When he missed the meeting again, it was the last straw for his boss.
Laugh all the way to the bank
Meaning: To earn a lot of money easily.
Example: They laughed all the way to the bank after their product became an overnight success.
Laughing stock
Meaning: A person subjected to general mockery or ridicule.
Example: His failed stunt made him the laughing stock of the school.
Law of the jungle
Meaning: Survival of the fittest.
Example: In the competitive business world, it’s the law of the jungle.
Lay down the law
Meaning: To issue orders or instructions forcefully.
Example: The new manager laid down the law on the first day.
Lead by example
Meaning: To act in a way that shows others how to behave.
Example: A good leader should always lead by example.
Lead someone astray
Meaning: To mislead or guide someone in the wrong direction.
Example: Bad company can easily lead someone astray.
Leading light
Meaning: A prominent and influential person.
Example: She is a leading light in the world of science.
Leap of faith
Meaning: To do something despite uncertainty.
Example: Starting his own business was a leap of faith for him.
Leave no stone unturned
Meaning: To do everything possible to achieve a goal.
Example: The detectives left no stone unturned in their search for the missing girl.
Left in the lurch
Meaning: To be abandoned in a difficult situation.
Example: He was left in the lurch when his partner quit the project.
Left out in the cold
Meaning: To be ignored or excluded.
Example: She felt left out in the cold when her friends didn’t invite her to the party.
Leg to stand on
Meaning: To have support for one’s argument or position.
Example: Without evidence, you don’t have a leg to stand on.
Let bygones be bygones
Meaning: To forget past offenses or conflicts.
Example: Let’s let bygones be bygones and be friends again.
Let off steam
Meaning: To release pent-up energy or emotion.
Example: He goes for a run to let off steam after a stressful day.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret.
Example: She accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Let the chips fall where they may
Meaning: To let events unfold naturally.
Example: He decided to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may.
Let your hair down
Meaning: To relax and enjoy oneself.
Example: After the exams, the students let their hair down at the party.
Letter of the law
Meaning: The literal interpretation of the law.
Example: Sometimes it’s more important to follow the spirit rather than the letter of the law.
Level playing field
Meaning: A situation where everyone has an equal chance.
Example: The new regulations will create a level playing field for all competitors.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Meaning: Signs of improvement.
Example: After months of hard work, she finally saw light at the end of the tunnel.
Lighten up
Meaning: To be less serious.
Example: Lighten up! It’s just a game.
Like a fish out of water
Meaning: To feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation.
Example: He felt like a fish out of water at the fancy dinner.
Like father, like son
Meaning: Sons often resemble their fathers in behavior.
Example: John is a great musician, just like his dad. Like father, like son.
Like taking candy from a baby
Meaning: Very easy to do.
Example: Winning that game was like taking candy from a baby.
Like two peas in a pod
Meaning: Very similar or always together.
Example: Those twins are like two peas in a pod.
Live and learn
Meaning: To gain knowledge from experiences.
Example: I used to make a lot of mistakes, but you live and learn.
Live and let live
Meaning: To accept others’ differences.
Example: We may have different opinions, but I believe in live and let live.
Living on borrowed time
Meaning: To survive longer than expected.
Example: After his heart attack, he’s been living on borrowed time.
Long and short of it
Meaning: The main point of something.
Example: The long and short of it is that we need more funding.
Long shot
Meaning: An attempt with little chance of success.
Example: Winning the lottery is a long shot.
Look before you leap
Meaning: Think carefully before taking action.
Example: It’s wise to look before you leap when making major decisions.
Look on the bright side
Meaning: To be optimistic.
Example: Even though we lost, let’s look on the bright side; we played well.
Lose your marbles
Meaning: To go crazy.
Example: He started acting strangely, like he had lost his marbles.
Lose your temper
Meaning: To become angry.
Example: She lost her temper when she saw the mess.
Lost cause
Meaning: A hopeless situation.
Example: Trying to change his mind is a lost cause.
Low-hanging fruit
Meaning: The easiest targets.
Example: Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit to get quick results.
Luck of the draw
Meaning: Based on chance.
Example: Getting that job was just the luck of the draw.
Lucky break
Meaning: A fortunate event.
Example: She got a lucky break when she found that job listing.
Lurking in the shadows
Meaning: To hide or remain unnoticed.
Example: There are always dangers lurking in the shadows.
Let Bygones Be Bygones
Meaning: To forget past offenses or conflicts.
Example: They decided to let bygones be bygones and move forward as friends.
Let Her Rip
Meaning: To proceed with something at full speed or intensity.
Example: The mechanic gave the all-clear, so I told him to let her rip.
Let The Cat Out Of The Bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret.
Example: She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Lickety-Split
Meaning: Very quickly.
Example: He finished the project lickety-split and submitted it ahead of schedule.
Lightning Never Strikes The Same Place Twice
Meaning: An unlikely event is not expected to happen again in the same place.
Example: They were confident their store wouldn’t be robbed again because lightning never strikes the same place twice.
Like Father, Like Son
Meaning: Sons tend to resemble their fathers in behavior or characteristics.
Example: John loves playing basketball just like his dad. Like father, like son.
Like Shooting Fish In a Barrel
Meaning: Very easy to do.
Example: Convincing him to come was like shooting fish in a barrel; he said yes immediately.
Long In The Tooth
Meaning: Old or aging.
Example: That actor is getting a bit long in the tooth for action roles.
Love Birds
Meaning: A couple who are obviously very much in love.
Example: Look at those two love birds; they’re inseparable.
Last Straw
Meaning: The final problem in a series that causes a person to lose patience.
Example: The last straw was when he missed an important meeting.
Laughing Stock
Meaning: A person who is ridiculed or mocked by others.
Example: After his failed presentation, he became the laughing stock of the office.
Learn The Ropes
Meaning: To learn how to do a particular job or activity.
Example: It took me a few weeks to learn the ropes at my new job.
Leg Up
Meaning: An advantage over others.
Example: His experience gave him a leg up in the competition.
Less Is More
Meaning: Simplicity and clarity lead to good design.
Example: When it comes to decorating, less is more.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Meaning: To avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems.
Example: He decided not to bring up the argument again and let sleeping dogs lie.
Let Your Hair Down
Meaning: To relax and enjoy oneself.
Example: After the stressful week, they just wanted to let their hair down and have fun.
Level Playing Field
Meaning: A fair competition where no side has an advantage.
Example: New regulations aim to create a level playing field for all businesses.
Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
Meaning: To act in a frenzied or uncontrolled manner.
Example: She was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get everything ready for the party.
Like a Moth To a Flame
Meaning: Attracted to something irresistibly, often with negative consequences.
Example: He was drawn to gambling like a moth to a flame, despite the risks.
Long Time No See
Meaning: An informal greeting used when meeting someone after a long time.
Example: “Hey, long time no see! How have you been?”
Low Hanging Fruit
Meaning: The easiest targets or goals.
Example: Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit to get some quick wins.