1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxxiv. ‘Lieutenant Brown gave him to
his cousin that’s in the Middleburgh house of Vanbeest and
Vanbruggen, and told him some goose’s gazette about his being taken
in a skirmish with the land-sharks.’
Land-swab, subs. (common).—A landlubber (q.v.): a grass-comber (q.v.).
Land-yard, subs. (American).—A cemetery.
Lane, subs. (old).—1. The throat. For synonyms see Gutter Alley. Also
red lane and red lion lane.
1534. Udall, Roister Doister, i. 3. Good ale for the nones, Whiche
will slide downe the lane without any bones.
1818. Colman, Poetical Vagaries, 75. O butter’d egg, best eaten
with a spoon, I bid your yelk glide down my throat’s red lane.
1865. London Soc., Jan., p. 13. I eat the macaroon. You see it’s
all gone down Red Lion lane.
2. (nautical).—The course laid out for ocean steamers between England
and America. [There are two lanes, or lane-routes both narrowly
defined: the northern for westward bound, and the southern for
eastering bottoms].
The Lane, subs. phr. (various).—1. (theatrical) Drury Lane Theatre; 2.
(colonial brokers’) Mincing Lane; 3. (corn factors’) Mark Lane; 4.
(legal) Chancery Lane; 5. (thieves’) Petticoat Lane, and 6. (ibid.) the
old Horsemonger Lane Jail, now demolished. Cf. Cade, House, Garden,
etc.
1856. H. Mayhew, Gt. World of London, p. 82 note. Horsemonger Lane
jail—the lane.
1880. G. R. Sims, Ballads of Babylon (Forgotten). Whenever the lane
tried Shakespeare, I was one of the leading men.
1893. Emerson, Signor Lippo, iii. I started off for the lane, the
professionals’ emporium.
Harriett Lane, subs. phr. (military).—Tinned or preserved meat.
Langolee, subs. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms see Creamstick and
Prick.
Langret, subs. (old).—In pl. dice loaded so as to show 4 or 3 more
often than any other number. [The opposite is bardquater-tray].
1591. Greene, Notable Discovery [Grosart (1881–6), x. 12]. The
cheter, with a langret, cut contrary to the vantage. Ibid. 37.
Cheats ... flats, forgers, langrets, gourds.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Traveller [Grosart (1884), v. 27]. Langrets,
fullams, and all the whole fellowship of them will not afoorde a
man his dinner.
1600. Rowlands, Letting of Humours Blood, p. 59. His langrets with
his Hie men and his low.
1612. Art of Juggling, C, 4. ‘A langret ... is a well-favoured die
and seemeth good and square, yet it is forged longer upon the cater
and trea than any other way, and therefore it is called a langret.’
Lank, adj. (old: now recognised).—See quot.
1590. Spenser, Faery Queen, III, vi. 18. Her lanck loynes ungirt.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lank, Gaunt, Thin, Hollow,
Lean, Meager, Slender, Weak. Lank Ears of Corn, very thin Ears.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
After a lank comes a bank, phr. (old).—Said of breeding women.
1767. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn (1893), 109]. s.v.
Lank Sleeve, subs. phr. (old).—See quot.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Lank Sleeve. The empty sleeve of a one armed
man. A fellow with a lank sleeve; a man who has lost an arm.
Lanspresado (or Lansprisado), subs. (old).—See Lancepresado.
Lant, verb. (old).—To make water; to stale (q.v.). Also, subs. =
urine.—Cotgrave.
Lantern, verb. (American).—To hang from a lamp-post. Fr. à la lanterne.
See Lanthorn.
Lantern-jaws, subs. (old: now recognised).—See quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lantern-jaw’d, a very lean,
thin-faced fellow.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1753. Foote, Englishman in Paris, i. I lent him a lick in his
lanthorn-jaws.
1765. Foote, Commissary, i. This here lanthorn-jaw’d rascal won’t
give me an answer.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Lanthorn jawed, thin visaged, from
their cheeks being almost transparent, or else lenten jawed, i.e.
having the jaws of one emaciated by a too rigid observance of lent.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Lanthorn. Dark Lanthorn, subs. phr. (old).—See quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. A Dark Lanthorn, the Servant or
Agent that Receives the Bribe (at Court).
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Dark Lanthorn, a servant, or agent
at Court, who receives a bribe for his principal or master.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
Lap, subs. (old).—1. Any sort of potable; (among ballet girls) gin.
Also lapper. See quots.
1573. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 65. Lap, butter mylke or whey.
1609. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candle-light, in Wks. (Grosart), iii.
200. Lap, Butter Milke, or Whaye. Ibid. ‘Gypsy Song.’ The Ruffin
cly the nab of the Harman beck. If we mawnd Pannam, lap or
Ruff-peck.
1630. Taylor, Works [Nares]. They will make a mans belly like a
sowse-tub, and inforce mee to drinke, as if they had a commission
under the divels great seale, to murder men with drinking, with
such a deale of complementall oratory, as, off with your lap.
1656. Brome, Jovial Crew [Dodsley (1874), Old Plays, x. 367].
Here’s pannam, and lap, and good poplars of yarrum.
1665. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. I. ch. v. p. 50 (1874). Lap,
Pottage.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Pottage, Butter-milk, or Whey. ’Tis
rum Lap, this is excellent Soupe.
1724. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v. Lap ... also strong Drink of any kind.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Lap, butter milk or whey.
1789. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 119. To have a dish of lap
Prepar’d for those who like it. Ibid. p. 165. Dish of lap, a dish
of tea.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.
1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxviii. I would have given baith lap
and pannel to ony puir gipsy.
1836. W. H. Smith, The Individual, Nov. 15. She never lushes dog’s
soup or lap.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Lap, Drink; butter milk.