# What the "L" is going on here?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 28, 1999, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613 "1999-09-28T18:00:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [September 29, 1999, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/1 "1999-09-29T05:12:00Z")
As a person who has spend many meals eating out, I have noticed at the bottom of many glasses there is an “L.” (Actually it’s on the OUTSIDE bottom.)
My guess is that it’s either the initial of the glass manufacturer, or some unknown industry identifier.
Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/2 "1999-09-28T18:00:00Z")
Libby Glass?
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“You can’t run away forever; but there’s nothing wrong with getting a good head start.” — Jim Steinman
Dennis Matheson — [Dennis@mountaindiver.com](mailto:Dennis@mountaindiver.com)
Hike, Dive, Ski, Climb — [www.mountaindiver.com](http://www.mountaindiver.com)
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/3 "1999-09-28T18:36:00Z")
Perhaps “Limoges” ?
I know all the joints _I_ eat in use Limoges china and porcelain exclusively.
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Uke
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### Author:  [@Inky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/4 "1999-09-28T18:49:00Z")
Keep drinking,
The more you drink, the more letters are revealed.
First an “L”, then an “O”. It will turn out to say “Look”
Then an “Out” will be revealed…
Than a “you’ve” a “just” a “been”…
“P-O-I-S…”
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### Author:  [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/5 "1999-09-28T19:10:00Z")
Why Inky: I didn`t know you were a “Prisoner” fan 🙂
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### Author:  [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/6 "1999-09-28T20:05:00Z")
If it is an upper case cursive “L”, that glass is manufactured by Libbey Glass.
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One complete set of morals for sale to highest bidder, new in box.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/7 "1999-09-28T20:08:00Z")
Yes, it’s consistently upper case and cursive.
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### Author:  [@Inky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/8 "1999-09-28T20:18:00Z")
No chance it could mean “Liter” right?
As a ignorant fellow from a non-metric country, is a liter too much to drink in one sitting?
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/9 "1999-09-28T20:32:00Z")
Oh, for heaven’s sake, Inky, a liter is – for all intents and purposes – a quart.
Depends on how thirsty you are.
Beer is often served in liter glasses in Germany…even in France.
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Uke
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/10 "1999-09-28T21:46:00Z")
As I hail from the Glass City, I presume you are drinking from Libbey Glass glasses, brought to you by Libbey, Inc., LBY on the Big Board. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Buck\_Naked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Naked)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/11 "1999-09-28T21:52:00Z")
What about the Star on the bottom of my “not quite a” pint glasses at the local watering hole
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I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here.
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### Author:  [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)
#### Post date: [September 28, 1999, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/12 "1999-09-28T21:57:00Z")
For a moment there, I thought Inky was gonna spell L-o-v-e-r-o-c-k.
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### Author:  [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)
#### Post date: [September 29, 1999, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/13 "1999-09-29T02:50:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> No chance it could mean “Liter” right?
> As a ignorant fellow from a non-metric country, is a liter too much to drink in one sitting?
I agree with Ike, depends on how thirsty you are. Inky, think “half of a 2-liter bottle”, could you drink that much in one sitting?
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [September 29, 1999, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/14 "1999-09-29T14:11:00Z")
You’d be better off ordering a pint o’beer, drinking up, and then seeing if you want more.
If you think you can handle the whole quart, you’ll be presented with a nice fresh glass of chilled beer with a good frothy head on it.
Just my opinion.
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Uke
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### Author:  [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)
#### Post date: [September 29, 1999, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/15 "1999-09-29T21:20:00Z")
## DSYoungEsq - Waterville? I used to ride my bike through there when I lived in Rossford. Moved off to the north though, specifically, Sylvania OH.
One complete set of morals for sale to highest bidder, new in box.
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### Author:  [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)
#### Post date: [October 1, 1999, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-l-is-going-on-here/3613/16 "1999-10-01T19:09:00Z")
The “L” is more like the symbol for “pound”, as in “British Pound” or “pounds sterling.”
Those pint glasses are also called pound glasses.