Lapper, subs. (thieves’).—1. Drink; lap (q.v.). Hence, rare-lapper = a
hard drinker.
Lap-feeder, subs. (common).—A silver table-spoon.
Lappel. To ship the white lappel, verb. phr. (nautical).—To be raised
from the ranks.
Lap-priest, subs. (old).—A clerical apple-squire (q.v.); a servant
(q.v.).
1690. Crowne, English Friar, ii. 1. I know him, he’s a lap-priest
indeed! ... and, being of a tender constitution, ... he lies
between their sheets.
Lap-tea, subs. (American).—An informal afternoon meal.
Lardy, adj. (common).—Grand; rich; swell (q.v.). Lardy-dardy =
affected; effeminate: lardy-dah (or la-di-da) = a swell or fop. To do
or come the lardy-dah = to dress for the public.
1861. Miss Braddon, Trail of the Serpent, Bk. iv. ch. vi. ‘You’re
not much good, my friend, says I, with your lardy-dardy ways and
your cold-blooded words, whoever you are.’
1870. London Figaro, 8 June. The fast young men among the
natives—called in their favourite slang lardy-dardy coves—affect a
pronunciation in which the ‘v’s’ are substituted for the ‘w’s,’ and
vice versa.
1871. Atkins, House Scraps, p. 166. The young ’un goes to
music-halls. And does the la-di-da.
c. 1876. Broadside Ballad, ‘Tiddy Fol Lol.’ He’s no lardy dardy
swell, Though he looks and dresses well, For he lives at an hotel,
Tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
1879. Mrs. B. H. Buxton, Nell, xxv. p. 280 (1884). ‘Not one of your
haw-haw, lardy-dardy, eye-glass simpletons.’
1890. Punch, 22 Feb. The skim-milk of life’s for the many, the
lardy few lap up the cream.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, 25. See lardy toffs.
Lareover, subs. (old).—See quots.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lare-over, said when the true
name of the thing must (in decency) be concealed.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Lareovers for Medlers, an answer
frequently given to children, or young people, as a rebuke for
their impertinent curiosity, in enquiring what is contained in a
box, bundle, or any other closed conveyance.
Large, adj. and adv. (colloquial).—A. vulgarism expressive of excess.
Thus, to dress large = (1) to dress showily, and (2) to flash one’s
packet (q.v.); to go large = to go noisily; to play large = to play
high; to talk large = to brag, etc.
1852. Judson, Mysteries of New York, ii. ch. 4, p. 29. The eyes of
the gamblers sparkled all the brighter, when they noted the hundred
marks upon the bills and saw that he intended to ‘play large.’
1891. Globe, 17 Sept., col. 2, p. 2. This is indeed all very fine
and large, but can it be that instead of ‘which’ we ought to read
‘who’?
1892. Kipling, Barrack-Room Ballads. Tommy. An’ hustlin’ drunken
soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit Is five times better
business than paradin’ in full kit.
Large blue kind, phr. (American).—A general intensitive; e.g. a
monstrous lie; a bad headache; an interesting book and so forth.
Large House, subs. (common).—A workhouse.
English synonyms. Big-house; grubbing-ken; lump; Lump-Hotel; pan;
spinniken; wool-hole.
Large Order, subs. (common).—A difficult undertaking; something
exaggerated; extensive, or big.
1890. Pall Mall Gazette, 17 Feb., p. 7, col. 1. A large order
[Title].
1891. Tit Bits, 8 Aug., 274, 1. In asking me to tell you about my
clients and their wills, you give a pretty large order.
1892. Illustrated Bits, Oct. 22, 10, 1. Well, sir, that’s a largish
order.
Lark, subs. (colloquial).—1. See quot. 1811. [A corruption of M.E. lak,
laik, from A.S. lác = game, sport; cogn. with Icl. leikr = game; Sw.
lek; Dan. leg; Goth. laiks]. Cf. Larking, subs., sense 1.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Lark. A piece of merriment. People playing
together jocosely.
1819. Moore, Tom Crib, 37. Is any spark Among you ready for a lark?
1823. Moncrieff, Tom & Jerry, p. 46.
1829. Buckstone, Billy Taylor, We’ve had a lark ourselves.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, p. 5. ‘Here’s a lark!’ shouted half a
dozen hackney coachmen.
1838. Thomas Haynes Bayly, The Spitalfields Weaver. Don’t offer me
money, I warn you of that; no, no, when we’re out on a lark, if you
wish to treat me, well and good, but no money given.
1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, i. I like Cousin John’s
constant good-humour, and the pains he takes to give me a day’s
amusement whenever he can, or what he calls ‘have Cousin Kate out
for a lark.’
1870. Saturday Review, 21 May. But it is time that all vulgar
habits of outrage and lark should be put a stop to, and, however
inclined grown up men may be to look indulgently on mere boyish
follies, we must have these offenders treated as a gang of ‘snobs’
would be who should smash busts in the Crystal Palace.
1877. Scribner’s Monthly, Aug., p. 469. He dusted ’em reg’lar, an’
wound ’em up an’ set ’em goin’ accordin’ to rules; but he never
tried no larks on ’em.
1882. Punch, vol. lxxxii., p. 69, col. 1. A fine young London
gentleman, quite up to any lark.
1884. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie [‘Three Plays’, p. 61].
Fen larks. No rotten shirking, mind.
1888. J. Runciman, The Chequers, 121. I was only having a lark.
1893. Chambers’ Journal, 25 Feb., p. 128. Somebody’s been having a
lark with you, old lady.