living (redirected from be living proof)

be in the land of the living (humorous)

to be awake. She was partying till the early hours so I don't imagine she'll be in the land of the living before lunchtime.

See also: land

be (living) on another planet (informal)

if you say that someone is on another planet, you mean they do not notice what is happening around them and behave differently from other people. He doesn't always make much sense. It's like he's on another planet half the time.

See also: another, planet

be the living end

1. to be extremely good. We were big fans of their band. We thought it was the living end in those days.

2. to be very annoying. Helen is late again. She really is the living end!

See also: end

beat/knock the (living) daylights out of someone

to hit someone very hard many times. I'll knock the living daylights out of him if I catch him doing it again!

See also: beat, daylight, knock

frighten/scare the (living) daylights out of someone

to frighten someone very much. Don't come up behind me like that. You scared the living daylights out of me!

See also: daylight, frighten, scare

(a) hell on earth

if a place or a situation is hell on earth, it is extremely unpleasant. Soldiers who survived the war in the jungle described it as hell on earth.

See also: earth, hell

in/within living memory

events or situations in living memory can be remembered by people who are alive now. Areas of southern Italy are experiencing some of the worst storms in living memory. (= the worst storms that people can remember) Some of these houses still had outside toilets within living memory.

See also: memory, within

a living death

a life that is so full of suffering that it would be better to be dead. She can't walk, she can't feed herself and she can scarcely speak. It's a living death. For me, marriage to someone like that would be a living death.

See also: death

living on borrowed time

if someone is living on borrowed time, they are not expected to live much longer. I've got cancer - I'm living on borrowed time.

See also: borrow, time

Pardon me for breathing/living! (informal)

something that you say when you are angry with someone because they are always criticizing you or getting annoyed with you. 'If you're just going to get in my way, James, can you leave the kitchen?' 'Oh, pardon me for breathing, I'm sure!'

See also: pardon

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hell on earth

a hell of a someone/something

See also: earth, hell

in living memory

able to be remembered by people who are alive now. Water levels on the Mississippi River haven't been this high in living memory.

See also: memory

a living hell

an extremely unpleasant place or experience. She worked as a substitute teacher in a living hell of a public high school.

See also: hell

living large

able to pay for and enjoying a very expensive style of living. Vacations in the hot spots, a huge apartment in the city, cars, servants — that's my idea of living large!

See also: large