important position in an organization: “He was a low man in the system. It really got boring for him,” Zach’s father said about his son’s job. low man on the totem pole— = low man 3: The night security position at the museum is a low-man-on-the-totem-pole job, but Larry’s willing to give it a try. See also: high man on the totem pole / high-up man. lower one’s ears • prick up one’s ears lower one’s ears—(coll.) get a haircut (also: get one’s ears low- ered): I’m debating weather or not to lower my ears before school, leaning towards the more hippie of the options. prick up one’s ears—(coll.) become attentive or alert to listen: A bleating sound caught Baldred’s attention. He pricked up his ears as it grew louder. lower world • underworld lower world—1. mortal earth as opposed to heaven: Innu- merable high-dressed gentlemen, gods of this lower world , are gone all to inorganic powder. 2. the realm of the dead: In the mysteries of Eleusis, the return of Cora from the lower world was regarded as the symbol of immortality. underworld—1. the community of criminals: He was known in the underworld circles as a luxury loan shark, lending money to casino gamblers. 2. = lower world 2: Auernus was the name of a deep lake near Puteoli, the reputed entrance to the underworld . Note: The compound does not correlate in meaning with the phrase down under world—(coll.) Australia or New Zealand: Things have been busy in the down under world I have been in recently. I have flown back and forward between Australia and New Zealand… luck it out • one’s luck is out luck it out—(also: luck out) achieve success by good luck in a difficult situation: Rock City isn’t the easiest of places to find if you don’t know Nottingham but somehow we lucked it out . one’s luck is out—one has bad luck: Such are the perils of any racing these days, but I did begin to wonder if our luck was out again. lucky man • man of luck lucky man —1. a man who is fortunate or successful: If he’s a friend of yours, you’re a lucky man , for if ever a fellow was one of the salt of the earth, he is. 2. a bridegroom: The six gentlemanly cowboys swore that whoever should prove to be the lucky man , the others would ush for him at the ceremony. man of luck— = lucky man 1: I’m not known as a man of luck . In fact, if anything can go wrong with me it usually does! lucky strike • stroke of luck lucky strike —1. a fortunate discovery: Would they … come back to civilization with the story of a lucky strike to account for the gold they brought? 2. a chance piece of good fortune: It was a lucky strike that we were able to land so close to the boat, so we could follow the plan. stroke of luck — = lucky strike 2: My son was going over there anyway, so it was just a stroke of luck that they ended up being so close together. lunar politics • lunatic policy lunar politics—said of matters of no practical concern: Hume’s subtle intellect takes up a great many problems and shows us that they are essentially questions of lunar politics . lunatic policy —madly foolish, idiotic policy: I’m afraid we’re a long way from the degree of understanding that is required to change our lunatic policy into a more positive direction. M mad about something • mad for something mad about something—(coll.) 1. very enthusiastic about smth.; excessively interested in smth.: Most of the folks I’m particularly close to are as mad about sport as I am. 2. very angry about smth.: Viola says she got mad about that interview in the paper, about marriages being broken up. mad for something —(coll.) 1. craving or longing for smth.: Still we were all mad for food, and madmen cannot be made responsible for their actions. 2. carried away by some strong emotion: I was mad for joy. It was so beautiful that I wept while approaching the enchanting place. mad as a March hare • mad as a wet hen mad as a March hare—crazy; insane: Anyone who thinks the moon is made of green cheese is mad as a March hare . mad as a wet hen—(also: mad as a hornet) very angry; extremely irritated: Mrs. Harris was mad as a wet hen when the rabbits ate all her tulips. Note: Neither expression fully correlates in meaning with the phrase mad as a cut snake—(Austral.) 1. = mad as a wet hen: I was as mad as a cut snake to hear that the telescope was going to be left to die, and it’s good to see that the adminis- trators at NASA have changed their minds. 2. = mad as a March hare: Many people I’m sure thought Geoff was as mad as a cut snake , and it’s true, he did occasionally appear to have a tenuous grip on reality. made from something • made of something made from something—is used with reference to the source material from which smth. different is produced: Cheap alco- hol, made from potatoes or beetroot, is utilized to a consid- erable extent in place of petrol. made of something—is used with reference to the source material which still exists in its original form in the finished product: The houses in Costa Rica are built of undried bricks made of clay mixed with straw. made man • well-made man made man—a man whose success or prosperity is assured: And don’t bother your head about losing your job. You’re a made man now. Cf.: self-made man—a man risen to a high position by one’s own effort: He was of the climber type, a self- made man in the earlier and less inspiring stages of the mak- ing. well-made man —a man of well-proportioned figure; a man of powerful build: These people are tall and well-made , with Papuan features, and curly hair. made to be sold • made to sell made to be sold—said of goods manufactured to be pur- chased: Village workshop rugs were made to be sold , not used within the tribe in which they were made. made to sell— said of goods manufactured to secure a ready sale without regard to quality: In some cameras, “made to sell ,” no care is taken to adjust this plane. make a bad break • make a clean break make a bad break—(coll.) say or do smth. tactless or inap- propriate: Belton felt that he had made a bad break and looked around a little uneasily at the principal. make a clean break—separate from a person that one has a connection with: When I suggested a trial separation she said I didn’t have the guts to make a clean break . make a bag • make the bag make a bag —1. (Hunting) kill a number of game on a shoot- lower one’s ears – 226 –