Suppose your child is about to untie the bow on his shirt & you say "leave it as it is".
is it idiomatic to say "leave it as it is" when you want someone not to alter the current structure of something?
Also, are "leave it what it is" or "leave it where it is" idiomatic?
Note: when I googled "define: 'leave it as it is'", it showed no definition, but just 1 forum. I am not sure I can trust the definition in the forum.
Best Answer
Think about the meaning of "leave". You can leave something in a physical location, or you can leave something alone - as in not touching it, to preserve its condition.
"Leave it where it is" refers to an object's physical location.
"Leave it as it is" refers to an object's condition (which could include its location).
Both of these are idiomatic because of the two uses of "leave".
You asked why you couldn't say "leave it what it is" - well, that wouldn't make any sense because the word "leave" doesn't work in that context.