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Glite Dictionary
Lucky Lindy

Lucky Lindy

8.4
A nickname for the American pilot Charles Lindbergh after his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic
  • proper noun
  • /ˈlʌki ˈlɪndi/
translation icon : Lucky Lindy
  • The press dubbed Charles Lindbergh Lucky Lindy after his historic flight.

Examples

  • The press dubbed Charles Lindbergh Lucky Lindy after his historic flight.

  • In the 1920s, Lucky Lindy became a household name in America.

  • Many young boys dreamed of becoming the next Lucky Lindy.

  • Everyone knows Lucky Lindy for his historic flight.

  • Did Lucky Lindy really fly solo across the Atlantic?

  • In the 1920s, Lucky Lindy became a household name in America.

  • Many young boys dreamed of becoming the next Lucky Lindy.

Surface Forms

Lucky Lindy main

Morphology

lucky + Lindy

The phrase is a referential, culturally specific nickname whose overall meaning (referring to Charles Lindbergh and his historic flight) cannot be inferred from 'lucky' plus the proper name 'Lindy' alone. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words but not the historical person will not be able to derive the MWE's referent or significance, so prior world-knowledge is required.

Etymology

Lucky Lindy is a nickname that newspapers gave Charles Lindbergh after he flew alone across the Atlantic in 1927. Because the trip was long and risky and he survived, they called him 'Lucky', and the name stuck as his nickname.