L7

English

Etymology

The shapes of the characters L and 7 form an approximate square when juxtaposed.

Noun

L7 (plural L7s)

1. (slang) A square; a stuffy or uncool person.
   • 1996, Leon Pettiway, Honey, Honey, Miss Thang: Being Black, Gay, and on the Streets:

     You will marvel at expressions like "That one was a pain in my chewy" and "I was an L7, a square," as well as the expressive play they use with their friends: "Oh, Miss Thang. Child, please. Bitch, it ain't all about you."

   • 2005, Paul Chamness Miller, Narratives from the Classroom: An Introduction to Teaching, page 77:

     So while my intelligent-cool students knew that they were smart, they did not wear it on their sleeves for fear of being perceived as an L7 (a square), a nerd, or a geek.

   • 2009, Jenny Lofters, Flying Backward in the Sky, page 11:

     "You're an L7."
     "A what?" he stopped in his tracks and asked.
     "An L7. Put them together and you get a big old square."

See also

• L7 (band): American rock band named from this expression.