c.1824. The American, viii. 68. There will be evasion of our laws by native and foreign land-sharks.
4. (common).—A custom-house officer.
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.
