8 Sayings beginning with L


Least said sooner mended

Possible interpretation: When we do or say something bad to someone, a long apology and discussion does not help. In such a case, the less we say the better.

Note: least (adverb): to the smallest amount | mend (verb): repair; fix

Quick Quiz:

The saying "Least said soonest mended" advises that a disagreement, for example, will be forgotten most quickly if we
  1. write a letter of apology
  2. take time to say how sorry we are
  3. say nothing or very little

Answer:  c


Let sleeping dogs lie

Possible interpretation: Don't restart an old argument or conflict.

Quick Quiz:

"Let sleeping dogs lie" is a proverb about
  1. animals
  2. conflicts
  3. truth

Answer:  b


Let the dead bury the dead

Possible interpretation: This is generally taken to imply that we should spend our time and energy on living people, not on dead people. (But see Origin below.)

Note: bury (verb) = put (a dead body) in the earth or in the sea

Origin: This saying has its roots in the Bible, and may originally have meant that the living should serve God rather serve than the dead (though its real interpretation has long been the subject of heated theological debate). Matthew 8: "Another of the disciples said to Him, 'Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.'"

Quick Quiz:

In the saying "Let the dead bury the dead", the word "dead" is
  1. a noun
  2. an adjective
  3. a noun first and then an adjective

Answer:  a


Life is what you make it

Possible interpretation: It is up to you to make of your life what you want.

Quick Quiz:

"Life is what you make it" may be interpreted as
  1. you are responsible for your own success
  2. your life is pre-ordained
  3. neither of the above

Answer:  a


Lightning never strikes twice in the same place

Possible interpretation: The idea here is that the same misfortune or bad luck will not happen again to the same person. This saying is often shortened, with the same meaning, to: "Lightning never strikes twice." (In reality, it has been proven that lightning often does strike two or more times in the same place.)

Note: lightning (noun) = a powerful electrical discharge usually between a cloud and the ground | twice (adverb) = two times

Quick Quiz:

You are most likely to say "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place" to someone who
  1. has just been struck by lightning, and lived
  2. has just had some very bad luck
  3. wants to photograph an electric storm

Answer:  b


Live and let live

Possible interpretation: This proverb suggest that we should not interfere in other people's business. We should live our own lives and let others live their lives.

Note: The title of the famous James Bond story "Live and Let Die" was a play on this proverb.

Quick Quiz:

"Live and let live" is another way of saying
  1. you get what you deserve
  2. thou shalt not kill
  3. mind your own business

Answer:  c


Look before you leap

Possible interpretation: This saying advises us to think carefully before any action. Don't jump without looking where you are jumping.

Note: leap (verb) = jump

Quick Quiz:

"Look before you leap" is good advice for
  1. suicide attempters
  2. long jumpers
  3. business startups

Answer:  c


Look upon death as a going home

Possible interpretation: We may consider dying to be a kind of returning to house and family.

Note: home (noun) = the place where a person lives permanently (especially as part of a family)

Origin: Chinese proverb.

Quick Quiz:

The saying "Look upon death as a going home" carries a message that is
  1. pessimistic
  2. optimistic
  3. imperialistic

Answer:  b