# What is this lapel pin?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 14, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261 "2021-06-14T18:31:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RollOutTheBarrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rolloutthebarrel/32/1649_2.png) [@RollOutTheBarrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RollOutTheBarrel)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/1 "2021-06-14T18:31:51Z")

</div>

California State Senator Jim Nielsen is wearing a lapel pin in this photo that looks similar to the Greek letter lambda with a hook on the left side. Does anyone know what it is?  
[![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Jim_Nielsen.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Jim_Nielsen.jpg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/2 "2021-06-15T02:49:42Z")

</div>

The initials JN (with a bit of the N missing)?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/3 "2021-06-15T03:34:13Z")

</div>

So a great big vanity pin?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/4 "2021-06-15T05:20:18Z")

</div>

Looking at his bio, expecting to see “rancher” as occupation… Which I did.

My WAG is it is a lapel pin for his cattle brand.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/5 "2021-06-15T09:00:50Z")

</div>

Not quite a square root,then.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/6 "2021-06-15T11:20:31Z")

</div>

Back in the '70s, the lambda was a symbol of gay liberation.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RollOutTheBarrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rolloutthebarrel/32/1649_2.png) [@RollOutTheBarrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RollOutTheBarrel)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/7 "2021-06-15T16:44:36Z")

</div>

> [@blabbermeister](#):
>
> The initials JN (with a bit of the N missing)?

> [@Kron](#):
>
> My WAG is it is a lapel pin for his cattle brand.

So, possibly a cattle brand, possibly inspired by his initials? That seems quite possible. Thanks for the suggestions.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RollOutTheBarrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rolloutthebarrel/32/1649_2.png) [@RollOutTheBarrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RollOutTheBarrel)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/8 "2021-06-15T16:47:06Z")

</div>

> [@panache45](#):
>
> Back in the '70s, the lambda was a symbol of gay liberation.

I was aware of that meaning of lambda, so that did cross my mind. I don’t think Jim Nielsen supports LGBT rights, though. Thanks for the input!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-lapel-pin/944261/9 "2021-06-15T16:50:56Z")

</div>

That is not the “lambda” sign.