HALF TIME THOUGHTS, EPISODE 50: WHAT THE EL…?
The letter L is widely used as a symbol and in acronyms, from the Roman numeral for fifty to the thumb-and-forefinger gesture for loser.
As we reach the fiftieth episode of Half Time Thoughts, it seemed appropriate to stop and appreciate a few of the popular ways in which the twelfth letter of our English language is deployed.
Fifty
As in the Roman numeral L
Ironically, the first example I mentioned in the intro is one of the least satisfactory.
In Roman times, the number fifty was originally represented by superimposing the characters V and I, or by the Greek letter psi (Y).
This must have caused confusion because, in Greek numerals, psi is associated with the numeric value 700.
Over time the character became flattened into something resembling an upside-down T (^), and eventually the letter L.
The Roman L also has nothing to do with legions.
A legion was made up of 10 cohorts, each containing 6 centuria, each of nominally 100 men. So, roughly 6,000 soldiers in total. Nothing fifty-ish happening there.
Loss
As in W(in), L(ose), and D(raw)
Perhaps the most prevalent use of the letter L is in the second (or third) column of a sports report.
The words lose, loss, and lost are derived from an Old Norse word, los, meaning ‘breaking up of the ranks of an army’ and a related Old English word of the same spelling, which meant ‘destruction’.
The OE word comes from Proto-Germanic, lausa, meaning ‘to loosen or cut apart’.
All rather more dramatic than failing to win a game and coming back to play again tomorrow.
Loser
As in thumb-and-forefinger making an L-shaped gesture (often in front of the forehead)
I was surprised to discover that the loser hand gesture only became popular in the 1990s.
I imagined serfs, soldiers, and other peons would have been making L-shaped gestures for generations
Given the mediaeval origins of the word loss (see above), I imagined serfs, soldiers, and other peons would have been making L-shaped gestures for generations.
Perhaps one must learn to read to make the association between the L-shape and the word loser?
Digging a bit deeper, I discovered that using the term loser to mean someone hapless only emerged in U.S. student slang in the 1950s.
It languished there until it was popularized by Jim Carey’s 1994 cult movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective as well as The Sandlot (1993) and the Smash Mouth hit All Star (1999).
Liter (or Litre)
As in the volumetric measurement commonly used outside the USA
The United States is one of only three countries that still officially use the imperial system of units. Can you name the other two?
Liberia and Myanmar. Yeah, cool friends to keep.
The imperial system relies on units of measurement that can be traced back to body parts and other everyday items
The imperial system relies on units of measurement that can be traced back to body parts and other everyday items. Convenient, when that’s what you’re using to make measurements. Painful, when you want to perform calculations, often in multiples of 12, 16, and 20.
The liter (or litre) isn’t without its complexities, either.
The word litre comes from the original French metric system, and was derived from an older French word, litron, which came from Byzantine Greek.
Confusingly, the Greeks used it as a unit of weight, not volume, and the volume of a litron of water would equal about 0.83 modern litres.
Today, it signifies a cubic decimeter (10cm x 10cm x 10cm) or one-thousandth of a cubic meter—which is the correct SI unit of volume.
From 1901 until 1964, the litre was defined as the volume of 1 kilogram of water at its maximum density, which occurs at +4°C and standard atmospheric pressure.
That definition is fine for everyday use but is insufficiently accurate for scientific purposes, since the density of water depends not only on the temperature and pressure but also on the isotopic ratios of oxygen and hydrogen atoms in a particular sample.
It was superseded in 1960, when the meter was redefined as a certain number of wavelengths of emissions from Krypton-86, and again in 1983 when the current definition was introduced—a metre is the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458th of a second, and a litre is one-thousandth of a cubic metre.
Limited Liability
As in LLC (limited liability company) and plc (public limited company)
The limited liability company is an important foundation for entrepreneurship and business ownership.
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Within an LLC, only company-owned assets are subject to claims made by business creditors, even if they come in the form of a lawsuit.
This protects business owners—the LLC members—from putting their personal assets at risk whenever they form and operate a business.
Limiting liability has its pros and cons.
It clearly encourages people to start businesses when they otherwise might not, bringing ideas and products to the market that would have remained stuck in their heads. There are also tax advantages in many jurisdictions.
However, an LLC can also encourage people to start poorly conceived businesses and to run businesses in a reckless manner, since the consequences of failure are limited, if not negligible. This prejudices the consumer—leaving them without product or support—and the investor, whenever an LLC abruptly goes out of business.
Less
As in LTL (less than load)
Here’s another L-based abbreviation that I find intriguing.
If you contract a haulage company to ship goods from one place to another, they will either charge you for the entire truckload or, if you are willing to share the ride with other shippers, a proportional share of the trucking cost. The latter arrangement is called less-than-load or LTL shipping.
This ride-sharing arrangement for freight is an important mechanism for pooling resources, reducing freight costs, and minimizing emissions.
If you’re moving enough freight on a predictable basis, it’s convenient to own and operate your own trucks.
If you have large enough loads to move but only do so occasionally, it’s convenient to pay for full truckloads and not have to wait on other people to get their shipments ready.
But if you’re making smaller, irregular shipments, LTL is a godsend.
If you’re making smaller, irregular shipments, LTL is a godsend. There’s an interesting parallel with the rapid emergence of fractional employees and gig workers.
There’s an interesting parallel with the rapid emergence of fractional employees and gig workers.
If you’re doing enough of a particular type of work on a predictable basis, it makes sense to hire and manage your own team.
If you have large enough pieces of work but they only happen occasionally, it makes sense to keep a specialist on retainer.
But if you’re only doing sporadic, smaller pieces of work, the ability to hire a specialist by the hour through portals like Upwork or Freelancer is a godsend.
It’s about time the work-for-hire sector caught up with the freight industry.
Learner
As in L plate used by student drivers in some countries
My son is about to complete his driver’s education and join the motoring melee. Meanwhile, we get the pleasure of accompanying him on practice drives amid Houston’s famous traffic.
For the most part, it’s an enjoyable cruise around town. He’s a competent and considerate driver, which means relatively few heart-stopping moments.
I wish the same could be said for the drivers around us.
Some of them exhibit a shocking level of incompetence, and many are downright inconsiderate.
Traveling at or below the speed limit is a fraught experience, even though it’s a legal requirement. Tailgating and aggressive passing-and-cutting-off maneuvers are commonplace, even though they are illegal.
And the honking of horns. Yeah. Patience truly is a—practically non-existent—virtue.
In the U.K. and several other developed nations, it’s a legal requirement for student drivers to display an L-plate on their vehicle. This signals to other drivers that they should be careful—and preferably considerate—around the marked car.
Some countries also offer P-plates for newly minted license holders (standing for ‘probationary’). These can be left on the vehicle for as long as the driver likes, until they feel confident enough to remove them.
I wonder how US drivers would react to seeing an L or P-plate on the slow-moving, law-abiding vehicle obstructing their passage?
Something tells me it wouldn’t improve the situation.
The obnoxious practice called hazing might be invoked as an excuse for “giving that learner a little taste of what real freeway driving is like.” Ugh.
Laugh (or Laughing)
As in LOL (laugh out loud), ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing), and LM(F)AO (laughing my (f***ing) ass/arse off)
On a happier note, let’s end with the meteoric rise of the letter L across the digital world of short messages.
From SMS to chat rooms to instant messaging, laughter is a thriving emotion.
LOL is among the top ten most-used acronyms and has spilled over from instant messaging slang into everyday English.
This kind of initialism is a new phenomenon, birthed by the internet, blurring the lines between spoken and written language to convey feelings in a way that resembles that of speech.
Thank goodness something emotionally positive has emerged from the web!
Until next time, TYVM, DBEYR, and B4N. LOL.