English Idioms: Labor or Love, Lame Duck, Land upon Both Feet and Land Up Upon One's Feet, Land-Office Business

Labor of Love. Fig. A task that is either unpaid or badly paid and that one does simply for one’s own satisfaction or pleasure or to please someone whom one likes or loves. Jane made no money out of the biography she wrote. She was writing about the life of a friend, and the book was a labor of love.

Lame Duck 1. Fig. someone who is in the last period of a term in an elective office and cannot run for reelection. As a lame duck, there’s not a lot I can do. 2. Fig. having to do with someone in the last period of a term in an elective office. (Sometimes lameduck.) Lame-duck Congresses tend to do things they wouldn’t dare do otherwise.

Land (up)on both feet and land (up)on one’s feet 1. to end up on both feet after a jump, dive, etc. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) She jumped over the bicycle and landed upon both feet. 2. Fig. to come out of something well; to survive something satisfactorily. (Fig. on (1) Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) It was a rough period in his life, but when it was over he landed on both feet.

Land-office business Fig. a large amount of business done in a short period of time. We keep going. Never do land-office business – just enough to make out.