A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

large fortune • small fortune
large fortune —great wealth; a huge sum of money: After an
exile of many years, Dudley North returned to England with
a large fortune.
small fortune —a rather large sum of money: It is said she
made a small fortune selling what became known as Durham
mustard.
lash out at something • lash out on something
lash out at something —make a sudden and violent verbal
attack on smth.: The speaker lashed out at the government’s
new tax laws.
lash out on something —(coll.) spend freely on smth.; pay a
lot of money for smth.: Can we afford to lash out on a new
car?
Last Day, the • last days, the
Last Day, the —the Biblical Day of Judgment: They were
eager … if their death anticipated the Last Day, to die in the
Holy Land.
last days, the —
1
. the concluding period of smth.: Though
it appears paradoxical, in the last days of the Raj, the British
were the only people who wished to keep India united. 2. the
period including and immediately preceding the Day of Judg-
ment: Alder gives a chronological order for the many signs
that will occur in the last days.
last out something • outlast something
last out something —
1
. exist or continue for a period of time:
Why join this mad adventure of the Bolsheviks, this govern-
ment that would not last out a week? 2. be enough for a period
of time: There was plenty of grass and water to last out the
fall. It was fire the ranchers feared.
outlast something —last or exist longer than smth. else: These
bikes are extremely well made and will outlast our competitors
models.
laid on the shelf
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last thing, the • one final thing
last thing, the —
1
. smth. that a person does in the last place:
The last thing I do at night before going to bed is to check
my e-mail. 2. smth. least likely to be expected under the cir-
cumstances: Doesn’t he know that orange juice is the last thing
to drink if you’re dieting? 3. (also: last word, the) smth. that is
most up-to-date; smth. that cannot be surpassed: The last
thing in leather is pearl-tinted fish-skin.