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The Great War

The Tommy's Tongue

Return to Vocabulary Index

L - London

L Pip:
Listening post (LP), usually located in a sap. From the phonetic alphabet.
Lance-Corporal Bacon:
Not very lean bacon, with only one strip of mean running through the fat. An analogy to the one chevron worn on the sleeves by a Lance-Corporal.
Lance-Jack:
Lance-Corporal, a junior NCO having one chevron. This was an appointment and not a rank.
Land Creeper:
Tank. Sunday 10th September, 1916: Walked...to see the Land Creepers. They look wonderful things but rather vulnerable. Capt Sir Iain Colquhoun, 1st Scots Guards.
Landowner:
Dead. To become a landowner was to be dead and buried.
Land Ship:
Tank.
Leap-Frog:
System of assault in which the first wave took the first objective and the second wave pass through them to take the second objective.
Lid:
Steel helmet.
Lifting Barrage:
An advancing bombardment.
Linseed Lancers:
The Royal Army Medical Corps.
Listening Post:
Advanced post, usually in no-man's land, where soldiers tried to find out information about the enemy.
Loophole:
Gap in the parapet of a fire trench enabling shooting to take place whilst providing head cover. May be constructed from sandbags, steel plates or other materials.
Loose:
Larceny, a thief. From Hindustani lus, thief.
Loot:
Subaltern. A one pip Loot was Second Lieutenant, from the pip or star on the shoulder or cuff. Officers below the rank of Captain were always addressed and spoken of as 'Mister ____'.
Lorry Hopping:
The practice of moving about the country by cadging free lifts from ASC drivers.
Lorry:
Truck. (British - English)
Lousy:
Feeling poorly. Associated with being louse covered. See crummy.
Lozenges:
Small arms ammunition used in hand guns.
Lucifer:
Friction match. From a popular brand name, but originally from Latin 'bearer of light'. While you've a Lucifer to light your fag, smile boys, that's the style - It's a Long Way to Tipperary, a popular marching song.
Lukri:
Wood. From Hindustani.