Lammas. At later Lammas, phr. (common).—Never; at the Greek kalends (q.v.); at Tib's eve (q.v.).
1576. Gascoigne, Steele Glas (ed. Arber), 55. Courtiers thrive at latter lammas day.
1670. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn (1893), 168]. At later lammas, ad Græcas Calendas, i.e., never.
Lammermoor lion, subs. phr.
(Scots').—A sheep: cf. Cotswold
lion, and Essex lion.
Lammie Todd! phr. (tailors').—'I
would if I could'.
Lammikin, subs. (old).—A blow.
1622. R. Hawkins, Observations [Hackluyt Soc. 1878, p. 228]. Wi h a truncheon which I had in mine hand, I gave the Indians three or four good lammikins.
Lamming, subs. (old).—A beating;
cf. Lamb. For synonyms see Tanning.
1619. Beaumont and Fletcher, King and no King, v. Bes. Gentlemen, you hear my lord is sorry. Bac. Not that I have beaten you, but beaten one that will be beaten; one whose dull body will require a lamming, as surfeits do the diet spring and fall.
Lammy, subs. (nautical).—A blanket:
originally a thick quilted frock,
or short jumper made of flannel
or blanket cloth, worn by sailors
as an outside garment in cold
weather.—Gentlemen's Magazine
(1866, Oct., p. 390).
Lamp, subs. (common).—1. See
quot. 1811; and (2) in pl. =
spectacles; Giglamps (q.v.). For
synonyms see Peepers.
1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Lamp, the cove has a queer lamp, the man has a blind or squinting eye.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
1888. Sporting Life, 15 Dec. Why, bruise me ef 'e ain't got his lamps shut.
1892. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 49. I lifted my lamps and saw Billy.
To smell of the lamp, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To show signs of labour or study.
1615. Breton, Characters upon Essates [Grosart (1879), ii. q. 4. 1. 3, ad authorem]. He that shall read thy character . . . they must say they are well written. They taste the lampe.
1625. Jonson, Staple of News, Prol. A work not smelling of the lamp to-night.
1647-80. Rochester, Wks. (1793), p. 16. Though he be very correct, and has spared no pains to dress the Satires of Horace in good French, yet it smells too much of the lamp.
Lamp-post, subs. (common).—A tall,
or lanky person.
English synonyms. Clothes-prop; daddy-longlegs, Duke of Lankester; Duke of Limbs; gawk; gas-pipe; lath-legs; long-ghost; Long-shanks; long-'un; rasher-of-wind; sky-scraper; sky-topper; spindle-shanks; split-up; tongs; matches.
French synonyms. Une asperge montée (popular); une brinde (popular: of women only); un grand cadavre (popular: of men only); un faucheux (thieves' = a field spider); une planche à pain (military); une canne à pêche (= fishing rod); une perche à houblon (= hop-pole).
Spanish synonyms. Cigueño; filisteo; varal; zanguayo; zangarullon.
Italian synonym. Longone (Florio).
Lamp of Life, subs. phr. (venery).—The
penis. For synonyms see
Creamstick and Prick.
