[lovers' lane]{n.} A hidden road or walk where lovers walk or park in the evening. •/A parked car in a lonely lovers' lane often is a chance for holdup men./

[low] See: LAY LOW, LIE LOW.

[lowbrow]{n.} A person of limited culture; a nonintellectual. •/Some people claim that only lowbrows read the comics./ Contrast: HIGH BROW.

[lowdown]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} The inside facts of a matter; the total truth. •/Nixon never gave the American people the lowdown on Watergate./

[lower the boom]{v. phr.}, {informal} To punish strictly; check or stop fully. •/The mayor lowered the boom on outside jobs for city firemen./ •/Father lowered the boom on the girls for staying out after midnight./ Syn.: CRACK DOWN. •/The police lowered the boom on open gambling./

[low-key]{adj.} Relaxed and easygoing. •/Surprisingly, dinner with the governor was a low-key affair./

[low season] Contrast: HIGH SEASON.

[luck] See: DOWN ON ONE’S LUCK, LUCK OUT, PRESS ONE’S LUCK or PUSH ONE’S LUCK, IN LUCK, OUT OF LUCK.

[luck out]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Suddenly to get lucky when in fact the odds are against one’s succeeding. •/I was sure I was going to miss the train as I was three minutes late, but I lucked out, the train was five minutes late./ 2. To be extraordinarily fortunate. •/Catwallender really lucked out at Las Vegas last month; he came home with $10,000 in cash./ 3. (By sarcastic opposition) to be extremely unfortunate; to be killed. •/Those poor marines sure lucked out in Saigon, didn’t they?/

[lucky] See: THANK ONE’S LUCKY STARS.

[lucky star]{n.} A certain star or planet which, by itself or with others, is seriously or jokingly thought to bring a person good luck and success in life. •/John was born under a lucky star./ •/Ted was unhurt in the car accident, for which he thanked his lucky stars./

[lump in one’s throat]{n. phr.} A feeling (as of grief or pride) so strong that you almost sob. •/John’s mother had a lump in her throat at his college graduation./ •/All during her husband’s funeral, Aunt May had a lump in her throat./ •/The bride’s mother had a lump in her throat./

[lump sum]{n.} The complete amount; a total agreed upon and to be paid at one time. •/The case was settled out of court with the plaintiff receiving a lump sum of half a million dollars for damages./

[lunar module (L.M.)] or [Lem] {n.}, {Space English} That portion of the rocket assemblage on a flight to the Moon in which the astronauts descend to the Moon’s surface. •/Building the L.M. was one of the most expensive parts of the American space program./

[lung] See: AT THE TOP OF ONE’S VOICE or AT THE TOP OP ONE’S LUNGS.

[lurch] See: LEAVE IN THE LURCH.

[lust for]{v. phr.} To physically yearn for; hanker after; want something very strongly. •/Ed has been lusting after Meg for a very long time./

[luxury] See: IN THE LAP OF LUXURY.

[mackerel] See: HOLY CATS or HOLY MACKEREL.

[mad about]{adj. phr.} 1. Angry about. •/What is Harriet so mad about?/ 2. Enthusiastic about. •/Dan is mad about pop music./

[mad as a hatter] or [mad as a March hare] {adj. phr.} Not able to think right; crazy. •/Anyone who thinks the moon is made of green cheese is mad as a hatter./

[mad as a hornet] or [mad as hops] or [mad as a wet hen] {adj. phr.}, {informal} In a fighting mood; very angry. •/When my father sees the dent in his fender, he’ll be mad as a hornet./ •/Bill was mad as hops when the fellows went on without him./ •/Mrs. Harris was mad as a wet hen when the rabbits ate her tulips./

[mad as a March hare] See: MAD AS A HATTER.

[mad as hops] See: MAD AS A HORNET.

[made of money]{adj. phr.} Very rich; wealthy. •/Mr. Jones buys his children everything they want. He must be made of money./ Compare: MONEY TO BURN.

[made-to-measure] or [tailor-made] {adj.} Made to fit a special set of measurements or needs. •/John has a new made-to-measure suit./ •/The club is tailor-made for Jane./ Syn.: MADE TO ORDER.

[made to order]{adj. phr.} 1. Made specially in the way the buyer wants instead of all the same in large amounts; made especially for the buyer. •/Mr. Black’s clothes were all made to order./ Compare: MADE-TO-MEASURE. 2. Just right. •/The weather was made to order for the hike./

[made up out of whole cloth] See: OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.

[magic carpet]{n.} 1. A rug said to be able to transport a person through the air to any place he wishes. •/The caliph of Baghdad flew on his magic carpet to Arabia./ 2. Any form of transportation that is comfortable and easy enough to seem magical. •/Flying the Concord from Dallas to London seemed like boarding the magic carpet./ •/Mr. Smith’s new car drove so smoothly it seemed like a magic carpet./

[maiden speech]{n. phr.} One’s first public speech, usually before some legislative body. •/It was the new congressman’s maiden speech and everyone was listening very keenly./

[maiden voyage]{n. phr.} The first voyage of a boat. •/The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage to America from England./

[mail order]{n. phr.} A purchase made by mail. •/If you don’t have a chance to go to a store, you can sometimes make a purchase by mail order./

[main] See: IN THE MAIN, WITH MIGHT AND MAIN.

[main drag]{n.}, {colloquial} 1. The most important street or thoroughfare in a town. •/Lincoln Avenue is the main drag of our town./ 2. The street where the dope pushers and the prostitutes are. •/Wells Street is the main drag of Chicago, actionwise./

[main squeeze]{n.}, {slang} 1. The top ranking person in an organization or in a neighborhood; an important person, such as one’s boss. •/Mr. Bronchard is the main squeeze in this office./ 2. The top person in charge of an illegal operation, such as drug sales, etc. •/Before we can clean up this part of town, we must arrest the main squeeze./ 3. One’s principal romantic or sexual partner. •/The singer’s main squeeze is a member of the band./

[majority leader]{n.} The leader of the political party with the most votes in a legislative house. •/The majority leader of the House of Representatives tried to get the members of his party to support the bill./ Compare: MINORITY LEADER.

[make] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, HAVE IT MADE, MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK, ON THE MAKE.

[make a beeline for]{v. phr.} To go in a straight line toward. •/The runner made a beeline for first base./ •/When the bell rang Ted made a beeline for the door of the classroom./

[make a big deal about]{v. phr.}, {informal} To exaggerate an insignificant event. •/Jeff said, "I’m sorry I banged into you in the dark. Don’t make a big deal out of it."/

[make a clean breast of]{v. phr.} To admit (your guilt); tell all about (your wrong doing); confess everything. •/The police caught the hit-and-run driver and he made a clean breast of his crime./ •/Arthur worried because he cheated on the test, and finally he went to the teacher and made a clean breast of it./ Compare: OFF ONE’S CHEST.