A Dictionary of Cont..

the part nearer the end, as in his latter life, or the
more recent. It is no longer used in a comparison
with than. Its chief function is as a contrast to
former. The contrast implies that some group
has been separated into two parts, but more than
two elements may be involved. We may say the
three latter events. Latter is never used as an
adverb. For both meanings of this word we have
the distinct adverbial form latterly.
Of the superlative forms, latest is the superlative
of later. It appeared when later did and
means after all others in time. It may be used
as an adjective or as an adverb, as in the latest
book and he stayed latest. The word lattermost
first appeared in the nineteenth century and has
never been widely used. It is specifically the
superlative of latter in its present-day senses
and means nearest the end or the most recent.
It is used only as an adjective, as in the Iattermost
day. Last is the old superlative of late. It
is still used in the senses covered by lattermost
and in some of the senses covered by latest. It
is both an adjective and an adverb, as in the last
man and when last we met. See last; latest.
late; belated. Both late and belated are adjectives
which mean being after the usual or proper time.
Late is the general term to describe this circumstance
without commenting on its desirability or
undesirability (We saw the late edition of the
newspaper). Belated, however, connotes an undesirable
delay or one that is blamable (He
offered a belated apology for his misconduct).
late in the day when used literally (Three o’clock
is just too late in the day for lunch) is a useful,
sensible, standard phrase that can never be worn
out so long as there is a proper occasion for it.
Used metaphorically, however (1813 was pretty
late in the day for Napoleon to be talking about
Europe’s need for peace), it is a clich6.
latex. The plural is latexes or latices.
latitude. See breadth.
latter; lattermost. See late.
laud. To laud for to praise is either a cliche
(lauded to the skies) or a bookish term that
sounds a little affected in ordinary speech.
laudable; laudatory. That is laudable which is
worthy of being praised (His desire to pay off
his father’s debts was laudable). That is laudatory
which expresses praise (He spoke in the
most laudatory terms of your loyalty and
ability).
laughable. See funny.
laugh in (or up) one’s sleeve. Derisive laughter
seems to have been concealed in various ways at
various times and places. The French used to
laugh in their capes and the Spaniards in their
beards. The English took to laughing in their
sleeves early in the sixteenth century when
sleeves were large and flowing, capable of concealing
immense amounts of mirth. But to laugh
in one’s sleeve today would be awkward and
obvious and the phrase is a cliche.
laugh to scorn. Whether one makes one’s enemies
laugh on the wrong side of their mouths or
laughs them to scorn or laughs them out of court,
or whether the whole procedure is no laughing
matter, and even though one has the last laugh,
all the terms employed are clichCs.
laundry; launder. Articles of clothing to be
washed and ironed are laundry and the place in
which they are washed and ironed is a laundry.
The verb is to launder, not to laundry. Clothes
are laundered, not laundried. The process as a
whole is laundering. It used to be laundry
(Chalky water is too fretting as it appeareth in
laundry of clothes, which wear out apace if you
use such water-1626), but the adoption of the
-ing form has simplified at least that much of
this so-often-confusing word.
laurel. The word laurel in Eneland designates a
small lauraceous evergreen tree, Laurus nob&,
sometimes called true laurel. In America the
word is applied to a number of trees and shrubs
that in one way or another resemble the true
laurel, as Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) or
Rhododendron maximum (the great rhododer?dron
or great laurel). Cecil Sharp (quoted by
Horwill) found that the Laurel Country, as it is
called, of North Carolina derived its name from
the rhododendrons which grow there. There was
some true laurel, but this was called ivy, while
the ivy was called vine.
lavish; prodigal; profuse. All three of these words
mean unstinted, extravagant. They refer to that
which exists abundantly and is poured out copiously.
One may be extravagant with little; but
it takes a great deal to be lavish, prodigal, or
profuse.
Profuse is the weakest of the three. It suggests
abundance (profuse strains of unpremeditated
art) but it also suggests exaggeration, over-demonstration
of feelings, etc. (profuse apologies,
profuse thanks, profuse protestations of undying
affection). Lavish is stronger than profuse. It
suggests excessive display or generosity on a
grand scale (Such lavish hospitality soon reduced
one of the greatest fortunes of the day to
no more than a competence). Prodigal suggests
wastefulness and improvidence, and again on a
large scale. It commonly refers to habits or character
and, by inescapable association with the
prodigal son of Luke 15:11-32, suggests immorality
and ruinous indulgence (Bankrupt of
life, yet Prodigal of ease. . . The chariest maid
is prodigal enough/ Zf she unmask her beauty to
the moon. These prodigal excesses will furnish
material for a thousand sermons that will delight
the staid and frugal).
lawful. See legal.
lawyer. See attorney.
lay. The past tense is laid. The participle is also
laid. This verb means cause to lie. It therefore
implies both an object and an agent. But it does
not follow that both have to be mentioned every
time the verb is used. According to the strictest
rules of English, there are two situations in
which one or the other may be omitted.
1. Formerly, the object of lay was often a
pronoun referring back to the subject of the
verb, the agent, as in now Z lay me down to
sleep. As these reflexive pronouns began to be
dropped, they were still understood and it was