The sun is bright, the grass is green,
Lanterloo, lanterloo,
The King is courting his young Queen,
Lanterloo, my lady.
--The Rake's Progress, Igor Stravinsky

Lanterloo is best known as the original name of the game which later became popularly known as loo, but it was originally a popular refrain in lullabies. It is the English version of the French lenturlu; both are nonsense, and are only used because they are calming and melodic sounds. In English the more common variant Lulloo Lullay won out the popularity contest, and is still in use today.

Lan"ter*loo` (?), n.

An old name of loo (a).

 

© Webster 1913.

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