locofoco

Jan. 7th, 2008 07:30 am
prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (Default)
[personal profile] prettygoodword
locofoco - n., an early match.


As in the rub-it-against-a-surface-and-it-lights -- also called in those days a Lucifer, which gives you an idea of how bright they flared. The origin of this name is more obscure, but seems to have been a trade name coined by combining loco- from locomotive, as in self-moving + Italian fuoco, fire.

The political faction named after this, I leave to the students of American history to discover on their own.

---L.

June 2025

S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 67
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930     

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jun. 7th, 2025 06:38 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios