out there. She’ll have to wait a few months
before buying expensive clothing.lighten up (on someone or something)
in. to reduce the pressure (on someone or
something); to calm down (about some-
one or something). Cool it, man.
Lighten up! We all gotta get along here.
Lighten up on the guy. He only stepped on
your toe.
light into someoneGo to sail into some-
one.
lightning rodn.someone, something, or
an issue that is certain to draw criticism.
Why write such a boastful introduction
to your book? It will just be a lightning rod
for criticism. We didn’t hire him for the
part since his opinionated comments make
him such a lightning rod.
lights out 1. n. bedtime. It’s lights out,
kids. Radios off, too! I was finished with
it by lights out. 2. n. death; time to die.
(Underworld.) It’s lights out for you,
chum. When it’s lights out, I want it to
be fast.
light stuff 1. n. low-proof liquor. The
light stuff is okay for parties, but not for
serious drinking. Poor Sam is trying to
cut down by drinking the light stuff. He
drinks twice as much, though. 2. n. mar-
ijuana and nonaddictive drugs. Sure,
it’s innocent. Sure, they’re just kids. Do you
know what kids do when they get through
with the light stuff? They do coke, they
shoot H., and they do the big one some-
where in an alley! The cops just found
some light stuff in his pockets. They let
him go.
lightweight 1. mod. inconsequential.
This is a fairly lightweight matter. We
need an executive here, not just a light-
weight f lunky. 2. n. an inconsequential
person; someone who accomplishes very
little. Don’t worry about her. She’s just
a lightweight. Those lightweights don’t
know how to run things right.
like 1. interj. an emphatic or meaningless
word that, when said frequently, marks
the speaker as speaking in a very casual
or slangy mode. (See also like, you know.
Used in writing only for effect.) This
is, like, so silly! She is like, so, like, way
rad! 2. interj. a particle meaning roughly
saying.(Always with some form ofbe.
Never used in formal writing.) Tiffany
was like, “Wow!” And I’m like, “Well,
you should have put your hat on!”like a bat out of hellmod. very fast or
sudden. (Use caution with hell.) The
cat took off like a bat out of hell. The car
pulled away from the curb like a bat out
of hell.like a million (dollars)mod. very good or
well. (Usually with feel.) This old buggy
runs like a million dollars. Man, I feel
like a million.like a ton of bricksmod. like something
very ponderous and heavy. The whole
thing hit me like a ton of bricks. Hit-
ting the back end of that truck was like hit-
ting a ton of bricks.like crazy and like madmod. furiously;
very much, fast, many, or actively.
They’re buying tickets like crazy. Look
at those people on the bank. They’re catch-
ing fish like mad!like death warmed overmod. horrible;
deathlike. Oh, my God! You look like
death warmed over! A tall, black-garbed
gentleman lay there, looking like death
warmed over.like gangbustersmod. with great excite-
ment and fury. (From the phrase come
on like gangbusters.“Gangbusters” was
a radio show that came on with lots of
sirens and gunshots.) She works like
gangbusters and gets the job done. They
are selling tickets like gangbusters.Like hell!exclam. That is not true!; I do not
believe you! (Use caution with hell.)
You’re going to a Dead concert! Like hell!
Like hell, you are!Like I care.phr. You are telling me this
news like it matters to me. (Nonchalant
and sarcastic.) So, there’s problems in
South America. Like I care.Like it or lump it!exclam. Give up!; Shut
up!; Accept it or go away! (See also Lump
it!) If you don’t want to do it my way,Like it or lump it!