15,000 words and phrases from more than 50 languages and their

L
183
la almohada es buen consejo [Sp], the pillow is a good counselor.
la América del Norte [Sp], North America.
la América del Sur [Sp], South America.
la ausencia es madrasta del amor [Sp], absence is the stepmother of
love.
la beauté sans vertu est une fleur sans parfum [Fr], beauty without
virtue is a flower without perfume.
la belle dame sans merci [Fr], the beautiful lady without mercy.
labitur et labetur in omne volubilis aevum [L], (the stream) flows on
and will forever flow: Horace.
la bonne blague! [Fr], what a joke!
laborare est orare [L], to work is to pray; work is worship.
labore et honore [L], by {or with) labor and honor.
labor ipse voluptas [L], work itself is a pleasure: Manilius.
labor omnia vincit [L], labor conquers all things: motto of Oklahoma.
laborum dulce lenimen [L], sweet solace of my toils: Horace (to his
lyre).
labrador [Sp], laborer; farmer; countryman: Sp. Am.
la bride sur le cou [Fr], lit., bridle on neck; with free rein; unchecked;
unrestrained.
labuntur et imputantur [L], (the moments) glide away and are set down
to our account: for a sundial.
lac or lakh [Anglo-Ind], one hundred thousand, esp. of rupees. Cf.
CRORE.
la carrière ouverte aux talents [Fr], the career (i.e., of arms) open to
talent: Napoleon.
lâche [Fr], adj. loose, as a knot; slack; slovenly; cowardly; n. coward;
dastard.
lâcheté [Fr], cowardice; also, laxity; slackness.
la codicia rompe el saco [Sp], cupidity breaks the sack; grasp all, lose
all.
la commedia è finita [It], the comedy is ended: closing words of the
opera / Pagliacci. Cf. TIREZ LE RIDEAU, LA FARCE EST JOUÉE.
la cosa marcha [Sp], lit., the thing goes (or marches); the affair is
making progress.
lacrimae rerum [L], lit., the tears of things.
lacrimis oculos suffusa nitentis [L], her sparkling eyes bedewed with
tears: Virgil.
la critique est aisée et l'art est diffìcile [Fr], criticism is easy and art
is difficult: Destouches.