long one
A hare; a term used by poachers.
English · UK & Ireland 770
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
long shanks
A long-legged person.
long stomach
A voracious appetite.
long tongued
Loquacious, not able to keep a secret. He is as long-tongued as Granny: Granny was an idiot who could lick her own eye. See GRANNY.
long-ghost
A tall, thin, awkward person. Sometimes called "lamp-post."
long-headed
Far-seeing, clever, calculating.
long-hundred
A Billingsgate expression for 120 fresh herrings, or other small fish, the long-hundred being six score.
long-odds
The odds which denote that the man or animal laid against has, or is supposed to have, little or no chance.
long-shore butcher
A coast-guardsman.—Sea. All people who get their livings by the side of the Thames below bridge are called LONG-SHORE folk.
long-tailed beggar
A cat. The tale that hangs thereby runs thus:—A boy, during his first very short voyage to sea, had become so entirely a seaman, that on his return he had forgotten the name of the cat, and was obliged, pointing to puss, to ask his mother "what she called that ’ere LONG-TAILED BEGGAR?" Accordingly, sailors, when they hear a freshwater tar discoursing too largely on nautical matters, are very apt to say, "But how, mate, about that ’ere LONG-TAILED BEGGAR?"
long-tailed-one
A bank-note or "flimsy" for a large amount.
long-tails
Among shooters, are pheasants; among coursers and dog-fanciers they are greyhounds.
long-winded
A long-winded parson; one who preached long, tedious sermons. A long-winded paymaster; one who takes long credit.
longs
The latrine at Brasenose, so called because built by LADY LONG.—Oxford University.
longs-and-shorts
Cards made for cheating.
loo
For the good of the loo; for the benefit of the company or community.
looby
An awkward, ignorant fellow.
looking as if one could not help it
Looking like a simpleton, or as if one could not say boh! to a goose.
looking-glass
A chamber pot, jordan, or member mug.
looking-glass
A facetious synonym for a pot de chambre. This is very old. The term arose from the fact that in ancient times this utensil was the object of very frequent examination by the medical fraternity. There is an old story of a lady who called at an inn, and called for a LOOKING-GLASS to arrange her hair, and who was presented with a chamber utensil.
loonslate
Thirteen pence halfpenny.
loony
A silly fellow, a natural. Corruption of LOONEY TICK (lunatic). Sometimes corrupted to LOOBY.
loophole
An opening, or means of escape. To find a loophole in an act of parliament; i.e. a method of evading it,
loose-box
A brougham or other vehicle kept for the use of a dame de compagnie. A more vulgar appellation is "mot-cart," the contemptuous sobriquet applied by the envious mob to a one-horse covered carriage.
loot
Swag or plunder; also used as a verb. The word came much into vogue during the latest Chinese campaign.
lop-sided
Uneven, having one side larger or heavier than the other: boys' paper kites are often said to be lop-sided.
lop-sided
Uneven, one side larger than the other. See Jacob Faithful.
lope
This old form of leap is often heard in the streets. To LOPE is also to steal. German, LAUFEN.
lord
A humpbacked man. See MY LORD.
lord-mayor’s-fool
An imaginary personage who likes everything that is good, and plenty of it.
lothario
A "gay" deceiver; generally a heartless, brainless villain.
loud
Flashy, showy, as applied to dress or manner. See BAGS.
lounge
A loitering place, or gossiping shop.
lour
Or LOWR, money; "gammy LOWR," bad money. From the Wallachian Gipsy word, LOWE, coined money. Possibly connected with the French, LOUER, to hire.—Ancient Cant and Gipsy.
louse
A gentleman's companion. He will never louse a grey head of his own; he will never live to be old.
louse bag
A black bag worn to the hair or wig.
louse house
The round house, cage, or any other place
louse ladder
A stitch fallen in a stocking.
louse-trap
A small-tooth comb.—Old Cant. See CATCH-’EM-ALIVE.
lout
A clumsy stupid fellow.
love
At billiards, rackets, and many other games, nothing: five points to none would be "five LOVE,"—a LOVE game being when one player does not score at all. The term is also used at whist, "six LOVE," "four LOVE," when one side has marked up six, four, or any other number, and the other none.
loveage
Tap droppings, a mixture of stale spirits, sweetened and sold to habitual dram-drinkers, principally females. Called also "alls."
low-water
But little money in pocket, when the finances are at a low ebb.
lowing rig
Stealing oxen or cows.
lubber
An awkward fellow: a name given by sailors to landsmen.
lubber
A clown, or fool.—Ancient Cant, LUBBARE. Among seamen an awkward fellow, a landsman.
lubber’s hole
An aperture in the maintop of a ship, by which a timid climber may avoid the difficulties of the "futtock shrouds;" hence as a sea-term the LUBBER’S HOLE represents any cowardly way of evading duty.
luck
"down on one’s LUCK," wanting money, or in difficulty.
lucky
"to cut one’s LUCKY," to go away quickly. See STRIKE.
ludlam’s dog
An indolent, inactive person is often said to be "as lazy as LUDLAM’S DOG, which leaned its head against the wall to bark." Sailors say "as lazy as Joe the Marine, who laid down his musket to sneeze."
lug
"my togs are in LUG," i.e., in pawn.
lug chovey
A pawnbroker’s shop.
lugs
Ears or wattles. See WATTLES.
luke
Nothing.—North Country Cant.
lully prigger
A rogue who steals wet clothes hung on lines to dry.
lully triggers
Thieves who steal wet linen. Cant.
lumber
Live lumber; soldiers or passengers on board a ship are so called by the sailors.
lumber
To pawn or pledge. Probably from LOMBARD.
lumber house
A house appropriated by thieves for the reception of their stolen property.
lumber troop
A club or society of citizens of London.