Selections from Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary: “L”

Edited by Dan Leo, LL.D., Horace P. Sternwall Professor of Lexicographical Studies, Marbles Team Coach, Olney Community College; author of Bozzie and Dr. Sam: A Summons from Lady Bedstraw; the Olney Community College Press.

Illustrations by rhoda penmarq; coloring by roy dismas; lettering by eddie el greco; a penmarq studios™/schemeworks™  co-production.

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La [corrupted by an effeminate pronunciation from lo.] See; look; behold. La you! if you speak ill of the devil, How he takes it at heart. Shakes. Twelfth Night. *** Laced Mutton. An old word for a whore. Ay, Sir, I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her a lac'd mutton, and she gave me nothing for my labour. Shakes. *** Lachrymatory. A vessel in which tears are gathered to the honour of the dead. *** To Labefy. To weaken; to impair. *** To Lampoon. To abuse with personal satire. *** To Laugh. To make that noise which sudden merriment excites.  You saw my master wink and laugh on you. Shakesp. *** Lexicographer. A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words. *** Literati. The learned. I shall consult some literati on the project sent me for the discovery of the longitude. Spectator, № 581. *** Losel. A scoundrel; a sorry worthless fellow; a word now obsolete. A gross hag! And, losel, thou art worthy to be hang'd That wilt not stay her tongue. Shaksp. A Winter’s Tale *** To Love. 1. To regard with passionate affection, as that of one sex to the other. I could not love I'm sure One who in love were wise. Cowley. *** 2. To regard with the affection of a friend. None but his brethren he, and sisters, knew, Whom the kind youth prefer'd to me, And much above myself I lov'd them too. Cowley . *** 3. To regard with parental tenderness. He that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John xiv. 21. *** 4. To be pleased with. He lov'd my worthless rhimes. Cowley. *** 5. To regard with reverent unwillingness to offend. Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart. Deut. vi. 5. *** Lubber. A sturdy drone; an idle, fat bulky losel; a booby. A notable lubber thou reportest him to be. Shakesp. *** Luctation. Struggle; effort; contest. *** Lucubration. Study by candle-light; nocturnal study; any thing composed by night. *** Ludification. The act of mocking, or making sport with another. *** Our illustrated adaptation of Boswell’s Life of Johnson will resume next week. Classix Comix is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Bob’s Bowery Bar™ Foundation for the Graphic and Literary Arts: “Finding yourself succumbing to the leaden depression of seasonal affective disorder? Why not chase those blue meanies away with a visit to Bob’s Bowery Bar™, conveniently located at the corner of Bleecker and the Bowery, and avail yourself of Bob’s Happy Hour Special of a schooner of Bob’s famous ‘basement-brewed’ bock and a shot of Ten High Bourbon, for only $1.25? Limit four per customer; offer good from 4 to 6pm Monday through Friday all January.” – Horace P. Sternwall, host of Bob’s Bowery Bar Presents Horace P. Sternwall’s Tales of the Common Man, exclusively on the Dumont Television Network, Wednesdays at 10 pm, EST.) "M"