lugge, a stiff bow. Ascham, Toxophilus, p. 28; ‘Vastus arcus, a lugge or mighty bigge bowe’, Cooper.
lull, pleasant soothing drink; ‘A Cup of blessed lull’, The London Chanticleers, scene 9 (Heath). Not found elsewhere.
lumber, a pawnbroking establishment; ‘Mónte de piedád, a lumber or bancke to lend money for a yeare, for those that need, without interest’, Minsheu, Span. Dict. Phr. to put to lumber, to put in pawn, ‘To put one’s Clothes to Lumbar, pignori dare’, Skinner. See [Lombard].
Luna, an alchemist’s name for silver. B. Jonson, Alchem. ii. 1 (Subtle). ME. ‘Sol gold is, and Luna silver we threpe’ (Chaucer, C. T. G. 826).
lunary, moonwort, the fern called Botrychium Lunaria. Drayton, Nymphidia, st. 50; Lyly, Endimion, ii. 3 (End.); iv. 3 (Gyptes); Sapho, iii. 3 (Ismena); B. Jonson, Alchem. ii. 1 (Surly). ME. lunarie (Chaucer).
lune, a ‘loyn’ or thong for a hawk. Morte Arthur, leaf 104, back, 12; bk. vi, c. 16. ME. loigne (Rom. Rose, 3882). OF. loigne, a cord. Med. L. longia, ‘lorum’ (Ducange). See NED. (s.v. Loyn).
lunes, fits of frenzy, mad freaks. Winter’s Tale, ii. 2. 30. F. lune, humour, whim; ‘Il y a de la lune, he is a foolish, humorous, hare-brain’d, giddy-headed fellow’ (Cotgr.); cp. G. laune, whim, humour; fr. L. luna, the moon.
lungis, a long, slim fellow; one who is long in doing anything. Beaumont and Fl., Knight B. Pestle, ii. 3. 4; ‘Longis or a long slymme, lungurio’, Huloet; ‘Lungis, a slim slow-back, a drowsy or dreaming Fellow’, Phillips (ed. 1706). F. ‘Longis, nom propre d’un personnage légendaire, qui aurait percé de sa lance le flanc de Jésus Christ; le sens est dû à l’influence de long: Celui qui est long à faire qqch.’ (Hatzfeld). Longinus was said to have been the soldier who pierced the Lord’s side with his lance (λόγχη); his martyrdom at Caesarea in Cappadocia was commemorated March 15; see Dict. Christ Antiq. (s.v.).
lupus est in fabula, there is a wolf coming to interrupt our talk. A proverb used on the occasion of a sudden silence; from the idea that a man becomes dumb if a wolf happens to see him before the man sees the wolf. Greene, Orl. Fur. i. 1. 322 (p. 93, col. 1); see Sir T. Browne, Vulgar Errors, bk. iii, ch. 8. The superstition is referred to by Virgil, Ecl. ix. 54. The proverb occurs in Terence, Adelphi, iv. 1. 21. See Büchmann, Geflügelte Worte (ed. 1905, p. 441).
lurch, to remain in or about a place secretly, esp. with an evil design. Merry Wives, ii. 2. 26; to be beforehand in getting something, to get hold of by stealth, Middleton, Chaste Maid, iii. 2; to deprive, rob, Coriolanus, ii. 2. 106. A north-country word (EDD.).