Origin of the slang "L7"

Question

What's the origin of the (I believe Brit) slang "L7"?

In particular what decade (or even century) did this come from?

Region?

Footnote - entirely possible it is not British; IDK. Could have an earlier origin?

Could you provide some context? If you do that you should reach the 30 character requirement without having to add junk. — Barmar, Nov 05 '20 at 21:44
You should still be able to provide some examples of how it's used. — Barmar, Nov 05 '20 at 21:48
Apparently LA. L7 is a rock band founded in Los Angeles, California, first active from 1985 to 2001 and re-formed in 2014. :-) — Jim, Nov 05 '20 at 21:49
@Fattie - Yes. I was making a point that without context, any answer might be right. — Jim, Nov 05 '20 at 21:51
I'm not sure it's as well-known as you think. I've never heard of it. You mention a song and don't even give the song's title. Having now looked it up and found it describes a square I think I can guess where it came from. — nnnnnn, Nov 05 '20 at 21:52
"One can instantly know anything these days" - yes, including the etymology of this expression which is already available online. — nnnnnn, Nov 05 '20 at 21:59
-1 to this question. It shows no research or context at all. — user11111111111, Nov 05 '20 at 22:21
Related: What is the origin and meaning of “to be a square”?; What is the meaning of “to look like a square”?; Why do you say “square” in “Be there or be square”?. — JEL, Nov 08 '20 at 23:45
"L-7" is in the lyrics to "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs in 1965. Growing up when this song was out I never could make out all the words, but looked up the lyrics and now seeing here that "L-7" means "a square" kind of surprised me. In '65, calling someone "a square" (an L-7) was a "beatnik" thing to say, and a little dated by then to me. Not by many years, mind you, but to 14 yr old, and it being the Sixties, a few years made a big difference! — BJS, Apr 06 '22 at 16:35

score 8 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 06 '20 at 08:13

Its origin appears to be from teen Black AmE, from the ‘50s. Is it used both as a noun and also as an adjective:

L-7 (noun) also l-seven

[the L and the 7 when put together form a SE square thus a pun on square n. (3b); the word can be accompanied by using thumb and forefinger extended at right angles, forming an L and a 7, and when the two are combined they form a square]

(US black/teen) a conventional, tedious person, unsympathetic to teen interests.

1956 Artie Shaw in West Coast Jazz 79: Hollywood’s latest lingo for a square: for an L and a 7 with your fingers and that’s what you get [W&F].

L-7 (adjective) also l-seven

(US black/teen) unfashionable, unsophisticated.

1972 D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 71: L7 adj., completely out of style; not like the group.

(Green's Dictionary of Slang)

Since the L and the 7 are used for their shape rather than for their semantic significance, this is a rebus rather than a pun. — Edwin Ashworth, Nov 07 '20 at 14:39
Correct. I'm old enough to have used it, as a teenager circa 1958. If someone expressed disdain for Elvis Presley or Cliff Richard - they were said to be L7. — WS2, Oct 01 '21 at 07:45

Barmar · Answer 2 · 2020-11-05T21:58:18.100

2

According to a Reddit post

A square.. hence shape of L7 {}

the origin is that the two adjacent characters L7 looks kind of like a square.

It doesn't look very square when the riser of 7 is on an angle (as in most modern computer fonts), but if you write it vertically it's pretty close.

I found a number of references with definitions (Urban Dictionary, Dictionary of Slang) but they didn't offer origins.

edited Nov 05 '20 at 21:58

answered Nov 05 '20 at 21:50

Barmar

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It might look square the way some people write it, too. – Barmar Nov 05 '20 at 21:56
That's certainly true and it's an amazing insight. However we truly need more info. – Fattie Nov 05 '20 at 21:58
The song is C Moon and the lyric is "Let's not be L7" ... "Let's not be square." – Weather Vane Nov 05 '20 at 22:20
Its origin? McCartney claims: "The name C Moon was inspired by lyrics in the song Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs ... There's a line [in Wooly Bully] that says, 'Let's not be L7.'" – Weather Vane Nov 05 '20 at 22:28
And, of course, "C Moon" was intended to be the opposite: two symbols that, when written together, make a circle rather than a square. Though it seems the "moon" symbol was evidently made up on the spot. – Doug Warren Nov 05 '20 at 22:30
@DougWarren Moons are often shown as crescents, so you get a circle (or more like an oval). – Barmar Nov 05 '20 at 22:31
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Since no one else has explicitly noted this, you can also make the sign of L7 with the outstretched index finger and thumb of both hands, presumably to nonverbally indicate to a third party that someone nearby is a "square". – Doug Warren Nov 05 '20 at 22:33
@WeatherVane - well yes, but the point is what's the origin? I don't think it was original to the WoolyBully song, it was already established. – Fattie Nov 05 '20 at 22:38
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@DougWarren That's in the other answer. – Barmar Nov 05 '20 at 22:39
Guys. the mention of that song was just one example (because, for some reason, someone asked for an example usage of the slang term). The song has nothing to do with anything. (BTW - completely unrelated - the song title C-Moon is à la "semen".) – Fattie Nov 05 '20 at 22:39
@Fattie true, but the question asks "What is the origin of the Brit slang in this song?" McC says "America". – Weather Vane Nov 05 '20 at 22:40
@WeatherVane The question doesn't ask that. – Barmar Nov 05 '20 at 22:41
That's what I take What's the origin of the (I believe Brit) slang "L7"? to mean. – Weather Vane Nov 05 '20 at 22:42
@WeatherVane that's not at all what the question says – Fattie Nov 05 '20 at 23:24
@Fattie you mean since the question was edited to remove the McCartney reference? – Weather Vane Nov 06 '20 at 02:21
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@WeatherVane The McCartney reference wasn't in the original question, it was added later when commenters asked for an example. – Barmar Nov 06 '20 at 02:23
I'm afraid Reddit is not a source, and more detail is needed. Anyway, since this question is trashed I will ask a new one, thanks! – Fattie Nov 07 '20 at 13:36

Origin of the slang "L7"

2 Answers2