live and let live
To be tolerant; to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities which life offers and to allow others to do the same.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We live and let live in our neighborhood.”
“You should live and let live instead of judging your friends' hobbies.”
“My neighbors have different beliefs than mine, but we prefer to live and let live.”
“Even though I disagree with how my sister raises her children, I choose to live and let live to keep our family dinners peaceful.”
“The travelers decided to live and let live when they realized their roommates had very different sleeping habits and cultural traditions.”
“Despite their profound ideological differences, the two colleagues agreed to live and let live to maintain a productive working relationship.”
first recorded 17th c. disputed origin
The phrase is possibly a calque of the Dutch *leven en laten leven*, appearing in English as *leuen ende laeten leuen* in 1622. This particular iteration was recorded by Gerard de Malynes in a treatise concerning the laws of trade. The sentiment appears to have entered the language as a matter of mercantile policy rather than moral philosophy.
- 01
buy to let
To purchase a property as in investment, and to let it out for rental instead of living in it
- 02
die the way one lived
To die because of or after doing something characteristic of oneself, especially something that one enjoyed doing.
- 03
don't let the door hit you on the way out
Used as a command to leave in haste, or to indicate that one is glad, or at least unmoved, to see the addressed person leaving.
- 04
let a sleeping dog lie
Alternative form of let sleeping dogs lie.
- 05
let bygones be bygones
To disregard or ignore a past difficulty in a relationship or an offence (when dealing with another individual).
- 06
let crazy stick its dick in you
To have sex with a male deemed insane.
- 07
let down
To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.
- 08
let drive
To aim a blow; to strike with force; to attack; to shoot (an arrow or firearm).
Last updated August 10, 2026