lent

lend (one) (something)

To allow one to borrow or make use of something temporarily. I can lend you $20, but I'll need it back by this weekend. Would you mind lending me a pencil? I forgot to bring one.
See also: lend

lend (one) a hand

To help one; to give one assistance. If you lend me a hand, I can get this done much faster. Lend your mother a hand in the kitchen, will you?
See also: hand, lend

lend (one's) ear (to someone or something)

To listen carefully or pay close attention (to someone or something). Be sure to lend your ear during the presentation. I know we're supposed to lend our ear's to the safety presentation before each flight, but I've seen it so many times that I just tune it out now.
See also: ear, lend, someone

lend (one's) name to (something)

To give one's formal and public support to something; to allow oneself or one's name to be associated with something. Now that we've got a big movie star lending his name to our campaign, we're finally starting to get the traction we've wanted.
See also: lend, name

lend (oneself) to (something)

To give one's talent, skills, or effort to assist in some task, project, endeavor, etc. The famous actor is lending herself to the charity drive, promising to match the total amount donated dollar for dollar. I've lent myself to a new TV show as a writing consultant.
See also: lend

lend (something) out (to one)

To allow someone to borrow or make use of something temporarily. Normally not used in reference to money. Some linguists, especially in British English, believe that "lend" should only be used as a noun, while the correct verb is only "lend." I can't come pick you up tonight—I lent the car out to your brother. I stopped lending my books out to friends because I never get them back.
See also: lend, out

lend a hand

To help. A noun or pronoun can be used between "lend" and "a." If you can lend a hand, we could use some more help in the kitchen. Lend your mother a hand in the kitchen, will you?
See also: hand, lend

lend a hand with (something)

To help or give assistance to someone with something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "lend" and "a hand." Tom and his wife said they could lend a hand with the move tomorrow. Would you mind lending me a hand with this dresser unit? It's too heavy to lift alone.
See also: hand, lend

lend an ear (to one)

To listen to one, especially when they are discussing a problem. Sorry I'm late, I had to lend an ear to Jane. She's been going through a lot lately. Thank you for lending an ear, I feel much better now that I've gotten that off my chest. Please lend an ear to Ian, who will be giving us an update about the last quarter.
See also: ear, lend

lend color to (something)

To embellish or add information or details to an account of something, especially to make it seem more credible or probable. He splashed mud all over his car and clothes to lend color to his story about being in the mountains all weekend. We cannot do anything that will lend color to our opponents' allegations about us.
See also: color, lend

lend credence to (something)

To make something seem more credible or probable, perhaps by providing additional information or details. He splashed mud all over his car and clothes to lend credence to his story about being in the mountains all weekend. We cannot do anything that will lend credence to our opponents' allegations about us.
See also: credence, lend

lend itself to (something)

To be suited for something, especially some kind of purpose or use. This fabric really lends itself to evening wear. The chefs are always looking for versatile ingredients that lend themselves to many dishes.
See also: itself, lend

lend support to (something)

1. To add information or details to something, especially to make it seem more credible or probable. Do you have any evidence that lends support to your assertion? We cannot do anything that will lend support to our opponents' allegations about us.
2. To provide assistance or approval to something. The president is lending support to the governor's re-election campaign. Your department will have responsibility, but the sales team will lend support to the project if needed.
See also: lend, support

lend weight to (something)

To make something seem more credible or probable, perhaps by providing additional information or details. Do you have any evidence that lends weight to your assertion? We cannot do anything that will lend weight to our opponents' allegations about us.
See also: lend, weight
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*busy as a beaver (building a new dam)

 and *busy as a bee; *busy as a one-armed paperhanger; *busy as Grand Central Station; *busy as a cat on a hot tin roof; *busy as a fish peddler in Lent; *busy as a cranberry merchant (at Thanksgiving); *busy as popcorn on a skillet
very busy. (*Also: as ~.) My boss keeps me as busy as a one-armed paperhanger. I don't have time to talk to you. I'm as busy as a beaver. When the tourist season starts, this store is busy as Grand Central Station. Sorry I can't go to lunch with you. I'm as busy as a beaver building a new dam. Prying into other folks' business kept him busy as popcorn on a skillet.
See also: beaver, busy

lend a hand

(to someone) Go to lend (someone) a hand.
See also: hand, lend

lend (someone) a hand

 and lend a hand (to someone)
Fig. to give someone some help, not necessarily with the hands. Could you lend me a hand with this piano? I need to move it across the room. Could you lend a hand with this math assignment? I'd be happy to lend a hand.
See also: hand, lend
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

busy as a beaver

Also, busy as a bee. Hardworking, very industrious, as in With all her activities, Sue is always busy as a bee, or Bob's busy as a beaver trying to finish painting before it rains. The comparison to beavers dates from the late 1700s, the variant from the late 1300s. Also see eager beaver; work like a beaver.
See also: beaver, busy

lend a hand

Also, lend a helping hand. Be of assistance, as in Can you lend them a hand with putting up the flag, or Peter is always willing to lend a helping hand around the house. [Late 1500s]
See also: hand, lend
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

lend (somebody) a ˈhand (with something)

help somebody (to do something): I saw two men pushing a broken-down car along the road so I stopped to lend them a hand. She stayed with us for three weeks and didn’t once lend a hand with the housework!
See also: hand, lend
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

lend a hand

To be of assistance.
See also: hand, lend
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • lend (one) (something)
  • lend (something) to (one)
  • pencil out
  • pencil in
  • pencil me in
  • cadge
  • lend a hand with
  • lend a hand with (something)
  • in pencil
  • lend (one) a hand
References in periodicals archive
Mike Herhold of Akron, Ohio says his most meaningful Lent was the year he got up early and went to 7 a.m.
Drawing from that wisdom, I have seven practical suggestions for all of us as we celebrate Lent in 1998.
And, but of course, what would Lent be without some plain, old-fashioned fasting--the kind kids take lightly as they start hoarding their Easter-morning bubble gum, the kind the prophets describe gravely as they inventory Israel's countless acts of memory loss and immorality.
Cueto says that during Lent he prays the five sorrowful mysteries of the rosary to keep God's greatest sacrifice alive.
As much as it can be difficult, I look forward to the season of Lent.
According to the Priest, Lent is meant to remind Christians what they should practice all the time.
Generally, Catholics (http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/questions-and-answers-about-lent.cfm) abstain from consuming any type of meat that lives on land on the Fridays of Lent. This includes any meat of chicken, pig, cow, sheep and others.
Individuals develop their sense of self-efficacy from personal performance, learning by example, social interactions, and how they feel in a situation (Lent et al., 1996).
In the end, Lent and Holy Week are about sitting helplessly by as Jesus loves us.
The kids were enthralled," said Lent, "They, weren't puzzled by the work; it didn't bother them that there was no music.
Such is the case with the unidentified editors of an exceptionally fine anthology, Bread and Wine, subtitled Readings for Lent and Easter.
Although the figure was slightly below July's record of pounds 21.2 billion, it was significantly up on the pounds 16.5 billion lent in August last year.
The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Brown & Lent, 1996; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994, 1996, 2000) provides a framework for understanding gender and ethnic differences regarding barriers to and facilitators of career development.
For operations evaluated in FY98-99, 81 percent of funds lent -- and 93 percent of funds lent for adjustment -- were in operations rated satisfactory or better by OED (Figure 4).
Ciappelli offers his readers an extensive and in-depth analysis of late-medieval/early-modern attitudes and practices associated with the two connected seasons of Carnival and Lent. Drawing exclusively on historical sources rather than on theoretical interpretations, the author takes Bakhtin to task and presents us with a social, anthropological, and cultural description of the Carnival/Lent binomial in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Florence that has little or nothing to do with inversions, topsy-turvy worlds, boy bishops, popular culture, collective behavior, festa, and other similar constructions so cherished by recent scholarship on Carnival.