lag If you lag transitively, you lag a pipe or a loft. Anything failing to keep up with a front-runner, rate of growth, fourth-quarter profit or whatever is lagging behind it.
last The last issue of The Economist implies its extinction; prefer last week’s or the latest issue. Last year, in 2010, means 2009; if you mean the 12 months up to the time of writing, write the past year. The same goes for the past month, past week, past (not last) ten years. Last week is best avoided; anyone reading it several days after publication may be confused. See dates.
Latin names When it is necessary to use a Latin name for animals, plants, etc, follow the standard practice. Thus for all creatures higher than viruses, write the binomial name in italics, giving an initial capital to the first word (the genus): Turdus turdus, the songthrush; Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the dawn redwood; Culicoides clintoni, a species of midge. This rule also applies to Homo sapiens and to such uses as Homo economicus. On second mention, the genus may be abbreviated (T. turdus). In some species, such as dinosaurs, the genus alone is used in lieu of a common name: Diplodocus, Tyrannosaurus. Also Drosophila, a fruitfly favoured by geneticists. But Escherichia coli, a bacterium also favoured by geneticists, is known universally as E. coli, even on first mention.
leverage Leverage is now accepted as a general synonym for debt in financial contexts. But do not overdo the noun, and studiously avoid the verb. See also gearing.
liberal in Europe, someone who believes above all in the freedom of the individual; in the United States, someone who believes in the progressive tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
lifestyle Prefer way of life.
like, unlike govern nouns and pronouns, not verbs and clauses. So as in America not like in America, as I was saying, not like I was saying, as Grandma used to make them, not like Grandma used to make them. English has no word for the opposite of as that would be the equivalent of unlike, so you must rephrase the sentence if you are tempted to write unlike in this context, unlike at Christmas, or unlike when I was a child.
If you find yourself writing She looked like she had had enough or It seemed like he was running out of puff, you should replace like with as if or as though, and you probably need the subjunctive: She looked as if she had had enough, It seemed as if he were running out of puff (or, even better, He seemed to be running out of puff).
Ogden Nash reminds us that this infelicity, sadly, is nothing new:
Like the hart panteth for the water brooks I pant for a revival of Shakespeare’s “Like You Like It”.
I can see tense draftees relax and purr When the sergeant barks, “Like you were.” – And don’t try to tell me that our well has been defiled by immigration;
Like goes Madison Avenue, like so goes the nation.
But authorities like Fowler and Gowers is a perfectly acceptable alternative to authorities such as Fowler and Gowers.
likely Avoid such constructions as He will likely announce the date on Monday and The price will likely fall when results are posted Friday. Use He is likely to announce … or It is likely that the price will … Or just use probably.
locate (in all its forms) can usually be replaced by something less ugly. The missing scientist was located means he was found. The diplomats will meet at a secret location means either that they will meet in a secret place or that they will meet secretly. A company located in Texas is simply a company in Texas. To relocate is to move.
lower case see capitals.
luxurious, luxuriant Luxurious means indulgently pleasurable; luxuriant means exuberant or profuse. A tramp may have a luxuriant beard but not a luxurious life.