life
the breath of life: seebreath.
the change of life: seechange.
do anything for a quiet life make any concession to avoid being disturbed.
a dog's life: seedog.
a fact of life: seefact.
the facts of life: seefact.
for dear (or your) life as if or in order to escape death.
2006Vanity Fair Bush is a 'dry drunk'-someone who quit one day and is just holding on for dear life.
for the life of me however hard I try; even if my life depended on it. informal
2013Kevin BarbieuxThe Homeless Guy What I found was so simple and convenient, I can't for the life of me understand why the city's trip planner website didn't know.
frighten the life out of terrify.
get a life start living a fuller or more interesting existence. informal
1997J‐17 All anybody seems to be talking about today is school. These people need to get a life.
it's the story of my life: seestory.
kiss of life: seekiss.
large as life (of a person) conspicuously present. informal
☞ This expression was originally used literally, with reference to the size of a statue or portrait relative to the original: in the mid 18th century Horace Walpole described a painting as being 'as large as the life'. The humorous mid-19th-century elaboration of the expression, large as life and twice as natural, used by Lewis Carroll and others, is still sometimes found; it is attributed to the Canadian humorist T. C. Haliburton (1796–1865).
larger than life
1 (of a person) attracting attention because their appearance or behaviour is more flamboyant than that of ordinary people.
2 (of a thing) seeming disproportionately important.
❶ 2008Daily Telegraph The characters are larger than life yet credible.
life and limb life and all bodily faculties.
2008Evening Standard Any sudden surge of people, either in panic away from danger, or when attracted towards some 'happening', is a potential threat to life and limb.
the life of Riley: seeRiley.
the life and soul of the party a person whose vivacity and sociability makes a party enjoyable.
the light of your life: seelight.
a matter of life and death a matter of vital importance.
a new lease of life: seelease.
not on your life said to emphasize your refusal to comply with some request. informal
see life gain a wide experience of the world, especially its more pleasurable aspects.
a slice of life: seeslice.
the staff of life: seestaff.
take your life in your hands risk being killed.
that's life an expression of your acceptance of a situation, however difficult.
there's life in the old dog yet despite appearances to the contrary, an old person is still full of vigour, enthusiasm, etc.
this is the life an expression of contentment with your present circumstances.
2001Louise RennisonKnocked out by my Nunga-Nungas Forced to go and sit in the pub with the elderly loons (and James) to 'celebrate'. Yippeee! This is the life … (not).
to the life exactly like the original.
to save your life: seesave.
the time of your life: seetime.
the university of life: seeuniversity.
walk of life: seewalk.
within an inch of your life: seeinch.