Leggy, adj. (colloquial).—Long-legged.
1848. Thackeray, Book of Snobs, ch. x. You behold Slapper's long-tailed, leggy mare.
1884. Field, Dec. 6. Her colour and markings are capital, in expression and style fair, but she is leggy and light in bone.
Legitimate, adj. (racing).—1. Flat-racing
as distinguished from steeplechasing
or hurdle-racing; and
(2) drama—especially the Shaksperean—as
opposed to burlesque.
1888. Sportsman, 28 Nov. It was certainly a change from the bustle and excitement connected with the winding-up of the legitimate season.
Leglin-girth. To cast a leglingirth,
verb. phr. (Scots').—To
be got with child. [Leglin
= milkpail + girth = hoop].
d.1758. Ramsay, Poems (1800), i. 274. Or bairns can read, they first maun spell, I learn'd this frae my mammy, And coost A leglen girth mysel, Lang or I married Tammie.
Leg of mutton, subs. phr. (common).—A
sheep's trotter.
Adj. (common).—Leg-of-mutton shaped; as in the case of sleeves, whiskers, sails, etc.
1866 W. D. Howells, Venetian Life, xx. With their honest, heavy faces comically anglicised by leg-of-mutton whiskers.
Leg of mutton fist. See Mutton
fist.
Leg of the Law, subs. phr. (common).—A
lawyer. Also limb of
the law.
Legs-and-arms, subs. (tailors').—Bodiless
beer. For synonyms see
Drinks and Swipes.
Leg-shaker, subs. (common).—A
dancer. Fr. un gambilleur.
Legshire, subs. (common).—The
Isle of Man. [In allusion to the
heraldic bearings].
Leg-shop, subs. (common).—1. A
theatre whose speciality is the
display of the female form. Hence,
leg-piece = a play contrived to
that end; leg-business = the
condition of a woman whose chief
work is to show her legs; and
leg-show = the personnel of a
leg-shop in action.
1871. A. E. Edwards, Ought We to Visit Her, p. . 'She was,' says Adonis, 'in the leg business.'
1875. Clemens ('Mark Twain'), Screamers, p. 15. 'Nothing, sir,' was the reply; 'only they're playing 'Undine' at the Opera House, and some folks call it the leg-shop.'
1882. McCabe, New York, 206. They are liberal patrons of the drama, especially the ballet and the leg-business.
Leg-stretcher, subs. (American).—A
drink: i.e., an inducement or
a pretext for going out. See To
stretch one's legs. For synonyms
see Go.
Lemon. To squeeze the lemon,
verb. phr. (common).—To urinate.
For synonyms see Piss.
Lemon jolly. See Colly Molly.
Lend, subs. (old colloquial).—A
loan: e.g. 'For the lend of the
ass you might give me the mill'
(Old Ballad).
Length, subs. (thieves').—1. Six
months' imprisonment. For synonyms
see Dose.
