be on the look out

be on the lookout

To be watching for something or someone. Be on the lookout for my email! It will have all the instructions you need for the project. A: "What are you guys doing?" B: "We're on the lookout for Mom's car, so we can tell Dad to stop working on her surprise gift when she gets here." A: "Why did you just yank the mail out of my hand?" B: "Because I'm on the lookout for my report card—Mom and Dad can't know that I'm failing three classes this semester!"

See also: lookout, on

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

be on the look out

and BOLO

phr. & comp. abb. establish and maintain surveillance [for someone]. (A police notation.) BOLO for a 65-year-old woman with tattoos on her upper arms. We’ll be on the look out for your stolen car.

See also: look, on, out

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.