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

lending library (UK) • lending library (U.S.)
lending library (UK)—a library from which books may be
taken away without direct payment: He looked a little on the
young side … to spend his life in lending libraries. The per-
petual student?
lending library (U.S.)—a library from which books may be
taken away with direct payment: This payment does not cover
verification and location of materials not in the lending
library’s collection.
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lending library

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let alone • let well alone
let alone —(also: leave alone) not to mention; not counting:
It is hard to get a gardener who can prune a gooseberry-bush,
let alone raise a cucumber.
let well alone —(also: leave well alone) make no change to
smth. that is satisfactory (in case one makes things worse):
Was he a fool? Could he not let well alone?
let go of someone • let someone go
let go of someone —stop holding a person: He shouted at the
cops, “Let go of me! You have to let go of me!”
let someone go —
1
. allow smb. to leave: Taking the man pris-
oner might jeopardize the mission, so he decides to let the
prisoner go. 2. discharge a person from employment: Since
we are going away for the summer, we will have to let our
housekeeper go.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase let oneself go—
1
. throw off restraint in one’s behavior;
act in defiance of social conventions: At a party, when Smith lets
himself go, he can be quite amusing. 2. neglect one’s appearance,
personal habits, etc.: She’s terribly depressed, but tries not “to
let herself go,” keeps young-looking.
let go of something • let go with something
let go of something —stop holding smth.; release smth.: As
soon as I let go of the leash, the dog ran away.
let go with something —give vent to laughter, angry words,
etc.: The lawyer let go with a vicious attack on the tactics of
his opponent.