Chapter Lantern-Land to Larks of L by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Larigot Boire à tire larigot. To tope, to bouse. Larigot is a corruption of “l'arigot ” (a limb), and boire a tire l'arigot means simply “to drink with all your might,” as jouer de l'arigot means “to play your best”- i.e. “with all your power.” It is absurd to derive the word larigot from “la Rigaud,” according to Noel Taillepied, who says (Rouen xlv.): “Au xiii. siècle, l'archevèque Eudes Rigaud fit présent à la ville de Rouen d'une cloche à laquelle resta son nom. Cette cloche était d'une grandeur et d'une grosseur, telles que ceux qui la mettaient en mouvement ne manquaient pas de boire abondamment pour reprendre des forces. De là l'habitude de comparer ceux qui buvaient beaucoup aux sonneurs chargés de tirer la Rigaud,” i.e. the bell so called.

Lark A spree; a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon lác (play, fun). (See Skylark .)

Larks When the sky falls we shall catch larks. A way of stating to a person that his scheme or proposal is absurd or ridiculous.
   French: “Si le ciel tombait, il y aurait bien des alouettes.”
   Latin: “Quid, si redio ad illes, qui alunt, quid si nunc coelum ruat?”
   Terence: Heautontimoroumenos, iv. 3; verse 41.