Chapter LINGAIT to LONG-DRAWERS of L by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

Linguister for the King’s Officer who commanded the Party.”—Letter to the Gov. of Fort St. George, from Antonio the Linguist, in Dalrymple, i. 396.

1760–1810.—“If the ten should presume to enter villages, public places, or bazaars, punishment will be inflicted on the linguist who accompanies them.”—Regulations at Canton, from The Fankwae at Canton, p. 29.

1882.—“As up to treaty days, neither Consul nor Vice- Consul of a foreign nation was acknowledged, whenever either of these officers made a communication to the Hoppo, it had to be done through the Hong merchants, to whom the dispatch was taken by a Linguist.”—The Fankwae at Canton, p. 50.

LIP-LAP, s. A vulgar and disparaging nickname given in the Dutch Indies to Eurasians, and corresponding to Anglo-Indian chee-chee (q.v.). The proper meaning of lip-lap seems to be the uncoagulated pulp of the coco-nut (see Rumphius, bk. i. ch. 1). [Mr. Skeat notes that the word is not in the dicts., but Klinkert gives Jav. lap-lap, ‘a dish-clout.’]

1768-71.—“Children born in the Indies are nicknamed liplaps by the Europeans, although both parents may have come from Europe.”—Stavorinus, E.T. i. 315.

LISHTEE, LISTEE, s. Hind. lishti, English word, ‘a list.’

LONG-CLOTH, s. The usual name in India for (white) cotton shirtings, or Lancashire calico; but first applied to the Indian cloth of like kind exported to England, probably because it was made of length unusual in India; cloth for native use being ordinarily made in pieces sufficient only to clothe one person. Or it is just possible that it may have been a corruption or misapprehension of lungi (see LOONGHEE). [This latter view is accepted without question by Sir G. Birdwood (Rep. on Old Rec., 224), who dates its introduction to Europe about 1675.]

1670.—“We have continued to supply you … in reguard the Dutch do so fully fall in with the Calicoe trade that they had the last year 50,000 pieces of Long-cloth.”—Letter from Court of E.I.C. to Madras, Nov. 9th. In Notes and Exts., No. i. p. 2.

[1682.—“… for Long cloth brown English 72: Coveds long & 2¼ broad No. I. …”—Pringle, Diary, Ft. St. Geo. 1st ser. i. 40.]

1727.—“Saderass, or Saderass Patam, a small Factory belonging to the Dutch, to buy up long cloth.”—A. Hamilton, i. 358; [ed. 1744].

1785.—“The trade of Fort St. David’s consists in long cloths of different colours.”—Carraccioli’s Life of Clive, i. 5.

1865.—“Long- cloth, as it is termed, is the material principally worn in the Tropics.”—Waring, Tropical Resident, p. 111.

1880.—“A Chinaman is probably the last man in the world to be taken in twice with a fraudulent piece of long-cloth.”—Pall Mall Budget, Jan. 9, p. 9.

LONG-DRAWERS, s. This is an old-fashioned equivalent for pyjamas (q.v.). Of late it is confined to the Madras Presidency, and to outfitters’ lists. [Mosquito drawers were probably like these.]

[1623.—“They wear a pair of long Drawers of the same Cloth, which cover not only their Thighs, but legs also to the Feet.”—P. della Valle, Hak. Soc. i. 43.]

1711.—“The better sort wear long Drawers, and a piece of Silk, or wrought Callico, thrown loose over the Shoulders.”—Lockyer, 57.

1774.—“… gave each private man a frock and long drawers of chintz.”—Forrest, V. to N. Guinea, 100.

1780.—“Leroy, one of the French hussars, who had saved me from being cut down by Hyder’s horse, gave me some soup, and a shirt, and long-drawers, which I had great want of.”—Hon. John Lindsay in Lives of the Lindsays, iv. 266.

1789.—“It is true that they (the Sycs) wear only a short blue jacket, and blue long draws.”—Note by Translator of Seir Mutaqherin, i. 87.

1810.—“For wear on board ship, pantaloons … together with as many pair of wove cotton long-drawers, to wear under them.”—Williamson, V. M. i. 9.

[1853.—“The Doctor, his gaunt figure very scantily clad in a dirty shirt and a pair of mosquito drawers.”—Campbell, Old Forest Ranger, 3rd ed. 108.]

(see PYJAMAS, MOGUL BREECHES, SHULWAURS, SIRDRARS.).