longshanks

1 9.9

A person with very long legs, a name people used long ago

noun

Literature

: piernas largas

Because of his height, Edward I was often called longshanks by his subjects.

Examples

Many people refer to King Edward I as Longshanks.
He was known as Longshanks due to his height.
The nickname longshanks was given to anyone who stood out for their long legs in medieval times.
In old stories, a tall stranger might be referred to as longshanks by the villagers.
Edward I, known for his remarkable height, was affectionately nicknamed longshanks by those around him.
In the tales of old, any tall individual was often called longshanks for their impressive legs.
Villagers sometimes whispered about longshanks, the tall figure who roamed the mountainside.

Antonyms

shorty

Slang

83 9.0

An affectionate slang word often used for a girlfriend or close friend

Surface Forms

longshanks singular

longshankses plural

Morphology

longshanks = long + shank (semi-transparent) = long + shank

The components 'long' + 'shank(s)' are semantically transparent, but 'shank(s)' is a relatively uncommon/archaic word for 'leg' and the nickname usage is idiomatic.

Etymology

The word longshanks comes from two old English words, long and shank, where shank means 'leg'. It was a nickname for a very tall person, often used for King Edward I, so it paints the image of someone with 'long legs'.