Chapter Lancers to Lantern Jaws of L by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Lancers to Lantern Jaws

Lancers (The). The dance so called was introduced into Paris in 1836. It is in imitation of a military dance in which men used lances.

Land See how the land lies. See what we have to do; see in what state matters are. See in what state the land is that we have to travel or pass over, or in what direction we must go. Joshua sent spies (ii. 1) “to view the land” before he attempted to pass the Jordan.

“Put your blankets down there, boys, and turn in. You'll see how the land lies in the morning.”- Boldrewood: Robbery under Arms, ch. xi.

Land-damn A corruption of landan (to rate or reprove severely). According to Dean Milles the word is still used in Gloucestershire.

“You are abused ... would I knew the villain, I would land-damn him.”- Shakespeare: Winter's Tale ii. 1.

Land-loupers Persons who fly the country for crime or debt. Louper, loper, loafer, and luffer are varieties of the German läufer, a vagrant, a runner.

Land-lubber An awkward or inexpert sailor on board ship. (Lubber, the Welsh llob, a dunce.)

Land of Beulah (Isa. lxii. 4). In Pilgrim's Progress it is that land of heavenly joy where the pilgrims tarry till they are summoned to enter the celestial City; the Paradise before the resurrection.

Land of Bondage Egypt was so called by the Jews, who were bondsmen there to the Pharaohs “who knew not Joseph.”

Land of Cakes Scotland, famous for its oatmeal cakes.

Land of Myrrh Azab or Saba.

Land of Nod (The). To go to the land of Nod is to go to bed. There are many similar puns and more in French than in English. Of course, the reference is to Gen. iv. 16, “Cain went ... and dwelt in the land of Nod;” but where the land of Nod is or was nobody knows. In fact, “Nod” means a vagrant or vagabond, and when Cain was driven out he lived “a vagrant life,” with no fixed abode, till he built his “city.” (See Needham .)

Land of Promise Canaan, the land which God promised to give to Abraham for his obedience.

Land of Shadows (Gone to the). Fallen asleep. Shadows = dreams, or shadows of realities.

Land of Stars and Stripes (The). The United States of America. The reference is to their national flag.

Land o'the Leal (The). The Scotch Dixey Land (q.v.). An hypothetical land of happiness, loyalty, and virtue. Caroline Oliphant, Baroness Nairne, meant heaven in her exquisite song so called, and this is now its accepted meaning. (Leal = faithful, and “Land of the Leal” means the Land of the faithful.)

Landau' A four-wheeled carriage, the top of which may be thrown back; invented at Landau, in Germany.

Landeyda (See Raven .)

Landiere (French, 3 syl.). A booth in a fair; so called from Le Landit, a famous fair at one time held at St. Denis. Landit means a small present such as one receives from a fair.

“Il gambadoit, il faisoit le badin;
Oncqon ne vit ung plus parfait landin.”
Bourdigné: Légende, c. iii.

“Mercure avec d'avides mains ...
Met impost et taxes nouvelles ...
Sur les landis, sur les estrennes.”
L. Chamhoudry: Le Voyage de Mercure,
bk. iii., p. 51 (1653).

Landscape (A) is a land picture. (Anglo- Saxon landscipe verb scap-an; to shape, to give a form or picture of.)
   Father of landscape gardening. A. Lenotre (1613-1700).