Leading from Behind
"Leading from behind" can describe someone who is afraid of the action. In Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera, The Gondoliers (1889), it was said of the Duke of Plaza-Toro: "In…
Holidays/Events/Parades
Leaky Roof Circuit (small-time racetracks)
The "leaky roof circuit" (also called the "frying pan circuit") referred to the small-time racetracks in horceracing, but the term was also used in baseball and ice hockey. The…
Leander (summary)
Leander, a city in Williamson and Travis counties of Texas, was founded in 1882 as a stop on the Austin and Northwestern Railroad, and was located near the then-existing town of Bagdad. Leander is…
Leanderite (inhabitant of Leander)
"Leanderite” is the name of an inhabitant of Leander, Texas. The name “Leanderite” has been cited in print since at least 2003. The slang name of "Leanderthal" (Leander +…
Leanderthal (inhabitant of Leander)
"Leanderthal" (Leander + neanderthal) is a slang name for an inhabitant from Leander, Texas. The name was inspired, in part, from the January 1983 discovery of the skeletal remains of the…
Leap Year Capital of the World (Anthony slogan)
Anthony, Texas and Anthony, New Mexico (the so-called "best little town in two states") pronounced itself the "Leap Year Capital of the World" in February 1988. A Leap Year…
Leaping Louie (Prometheus statue in Rockefeller Center)
Prometheus was the Greek god who brought fire to mankind. Paul Manship's statue of him is in Rockefeller Center, just above the skating rink. An early, 1930s-1940s nickname was "Leaping…
Lear Jet Liberal (Learjet Liberal)
"Lear jet liberal" (or "Learjet liberal") is a more modern version of the 1969 New York City term, "limousine liberal." A "Learjet liberal" might be a person…
Leather Capital of the World (Yoakum nickname)
The city of Yoakum holds annual "Land of Leather Days" celebration at the end of February and the town's welcoming sign reads "Land of Leather." Since at least 1991, Yoakum…
Leave Island Any Time (LIAT backronymic nickname)
LIAT stands for Leeward Islands Air Transport and is a Caribbean airline headquartered in Antigua. The LIAT backronymic (back acronym) nicknames of "Leave Islands Any Time" and…
Lebanese Iced Tea
Iced tea is a favorite drink in the South. Sweet tea is sometimes called "the champagne of the South." Lebanese iced tea is made with rosewater and pine nuts and is served at Middle…
Leche Quemada (Burnt Milk Candy)
Leche Quemada (Spanish for "burnt milk") is a popular Mexican caramel-like candy that has a long history in Texas. Pecan halves are usually added to evaporated milk and sugar (or corn…
Lechislator (lecher/lecherous + legislator); Lechislature
"Lechislator" (lecher/lecherous + legislator) and "lechislature" (lecher/lecherous + legislature) are portmanteau words that have been infrequently used. "LECHISLATOR:…
Led Robster or Lead Robster (Red Lobster nickname)
Red Lobster seafood restaurant was founded in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968. The spoonerism of the Red Lobster name -- "Led Robster" or "Lead Robster" -- has been cited in print…
Lee Harvey [lastname] (crime patsy nickname)
Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963) was the accused lone assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, although Oswald called himself a patsy and said that he never shot anyone.…
Leftard (left + retard)
"Leftard" (left + retard) is an epithet used by some on the political right against the political left. "Leftard" has been cited in print since August 2004. Similar terms…
Leftosphere (left blogosphere)
The "lefttosphere" is the "left blogosphere," containing blogs of the political left. The term "leftosphere" has been in print since at least March 2006. A similar…
Lefturd (left + turd)
"Lefturd” (left + turd) is an epithet used by some on the political right against the political left. “Lefturd” has been cited in print since July 2002. Similar terms include…
Leftwaffe (left + Luftwaffe)
"Leftwaffe" or "leftwaffe" (left + Luftwaffe) is an epithet used by some on the political right against the political lett. The Luftwaffe was the Nazi air force in World War II.…
Legacy Media
The term "legacy media" means the "old media" or the "print media" (newspapers and magazines), as opposed to the "new media" (websites and blogs). The term…