Note that, in the passages below, the emboldened and same-coloured parts of words listed immediately after the phrase ‘Pronunciation tip’, are pronounced in the same way. For example, ‘Pronunciation tip: lemon, about’ means the ‘o‘ in the word ‘lemon’ sounds just like the ‘a’ in the word ‘about’.
lame
The word ‘lame’ has several meanings.
One of its meanings is ‘pathetically lacking in effectiveness or force‘. Another meaning of ‘lame’ is ‘arousing no attention, interest, excitement, or curiosity ‘.
You can learn about all the other meanings from a good dictionary.
last
When used as a verb, the word ‘last’ means ‘persist for a specified period of time‘. The following sentence serves as an example that illustrates the aforesaid meaning: ‘The severe weather lasted for two days.‘
leave
The word ‘leave’ in the following phrases refers to the period of time during which one is absent from duty or work:-
- ‘leave dates‘
- ‘How much annual leave‘
- ‘going on leave‘
- ‘My boss granted me leave for a month.‘
- ‘have taken some leave due to me‘
- ‘take 3 days’ leave (= take 3 consecutive days off)‘
- ‘take 3 days of leave (= take 3 consecutive days off)‘
- ‘take a 3-day leave (= take 3 consecutive days off)‘
- ‘take three 1-day leaves (= take 3 non-consecutive days off)‘
- ‘take all of their annual leave‘
- ‘directed to take leave at the time of an annual close-down‘
legacy
A ‘legacy’ is a ‘heritage (i.e. something inherited from a predecessor)‘.
lemon
Pronunciation tip: lemon, about.
light
‘A light’ means ‘a source of light e.g. an electric lighting fixture, a lamp, a lantern, etc.‘.
Example sentence: ‘Turn on the lights when you enter the room.‘
like
The phrase ‘was like‘ can be used to mean ‘roughly said‘, similar to how ‘go‘ and ‘be all‘ are used sometimes.
Example sentences that illustrate the above-mentioned meaning:-
- ‘And he was like “Really?” and I went “Yeah!”.‘
- ‘And then she goes “Did you?” and I go “Yeah!”.‘
- ‘Then she shows me her ring , and I am all “Wow, that’s gorgeous!”.‘
On a separate note, when said frequently, the word ‘like’ can also be used as an emphatic or meaningless word that marks a very slangy or casual conversation, for example, ‘This is, like, so stupid!‘.
lumberjack
A ‘lumberjack’ is a ‘person who fells trees‘.
Pronunciation tip: lumberjack, cup.