A new lease of life is a second life, a fresh start: A fresh coat of paint gave the old bookcase a new lease of life. People use it for objects, people and projects alike. A lease is a rental contract: it's as if life were extended under a new agreement. In American English, it's a new lease on life.
When would you say a new lease of life?
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give someone / something a new lease of life; US a new lease on life
- A fresh coat of paint gave the old bookcase a new lease of life.
- Joining the choir gave him a new lease on life after a dull winter.
- The project got a new lease of life when the village offered a larger venue.
What changed
First versionThe repairs gave the bicycle a new lease of live.
RevisionThe repairs gave the bicycle a new lease of life.
Live and life look and sound alike, so they're easy to mix up in writing. But after of you need a noun: life is the noun, live is the verb. Replace live with life, and the phrase is correct.
A second wind is a burst of energy in the middle of something, for one evening or one race. A new lease of life is a longer renewal, and it even works for things: The repairs gave the bicycle a new lease of life. A breath of fresh air is pleasant novelty, not rescuing something old.
Your turn
The new cushions gave the sofa a new lease of ___.
Show the answer
life — After of you need the noun life. Live is a verb and doesn't fit the idiom.
Describe how a repair or makeover gave an old object a second life. Use a new lease of life.
Replacing the lining gave the old coat a new lease of life.
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