Land sakes: socially acceptable alternative for "Lord's sake", considered to be a profanity.
- 1846: Jedediah, for the land's sake, does my mouth blaze? Knickerbocker Magazine, January
- 1888: Land sakes! Thet poor cretur never had the spunk to kill himself. Harper's Weekly, Januay 21
Lay: price; terms; salary.
- 1816- He bought a large drove [of cattle] at a good lay. Massachusetts Spy, September 4
- 1853: A few months saw him handling the ropes upon a whaler, at a good lay. Captain Priest, p.49
Let her rip: let it go
- 1853: [Captain Mugg's] spirited "let her rip" was an infinite improvement on the "fire" of the old Steuben manual. Life Scenes, p.209
- 1854: As it is all for the good of the party, Let her rip. Weekly Oregonian, April 22
- 1857: Presently I heard, "All set; let her rip." Knickerbocker Magazine, November
Like a book: to speak eloquently or with a large vocabulary.
- 1829: You talk like a book, Mr. Bond. Massachusetts Spy, January 28
- 1833: An educated and traveled Yankee… talking like a book, even to the washerwoman. John Neal, The Downeasters, p.26
- 1833: [She] sang like a nightingale and talked like a book. James Hall, Legends of the West, p. II
Likely: able-bodied; attractive; serviceable.
- 1823: Notice. Will be sold at the mansion house of John Vivion deceased, all the personal estate of said deceased, consisting of Seven Negroes… Two likely young Girls, between the ages of 20 and 25. Two likely Boys, between the ages of 16 and 20. And one likely young Girl of the age of five years. Missouri Intelligencer, August 5
Limb: the socially acceptable or polite word for leg.
- 1854: [The Indian maiden] was seated on a rock, her legs (beg pardon, her limbs) stretched far asunder. Knickerbocker Magazine, June
Liquor: to take a drink.
- 1836: Having liquored, we proceeded on the journey. Colonel Crockett in Texas, p. 70
- 1839: It's a bargain then... come, let's liquor on it. Marryat, Diary in America, p.239
Little end of the horn: same as short end of the stick. To come out of a situation disadvantaged.
- 1805: I am very much afraid I shall come out at the little end of the horn. Baltimore Evening Post, July 5
- 1817: If the farmers and the traders, instead of attending closely to their proper callings, are busy here and there, they will assuredly come out at the little end of the horn. Massachusetts Spy, February 19
- 1855: You used to hear brother Joseph tell about this people being crowded into the little end of the horn, and if they kept straight ahead they were sure to come out at the big end. Brighamn Young, April 8
Log-rolling: a community effort to roll logs and clear land for a cabin's construction.
- 1833: The good villagers resorted to what, in woodland phrase, is called log-rolling, which means a combined effort of many to do what is either difficult or impossible to one. J.K. Paulding, Banks of the Ohio
- 1889: In some localities more thickly settled than others, neighbors render each other mutual assistance. In this case, the trunks of very large trees were cut down, chopped into logs, rolled together, and set on fire. Hence the phrase log-rolling in the vocabulary of our political common-places. Phelan, History of Tennessee, p.28
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