- A person “takes an L” if they have lost to another person in some form of competition, or if they have failed in any situation that lead to an undesired outcome (such as failing an exam). An “L” can also be given by the victor in such competitions as well, as they have given the loss to the loser.
L (3)
noun; other word formation type initialism
A loss or a bad thing that has happened to somebody.
Etymology : This word is an initialism of the word “loss,” meaning to come up short in a situation, mostly in competition. The word “L” behaves in the same way, but likely came from record keeping of wins-losses being designated “W-L,” and from the internet by those seeking a faster way to type loss. It has gone beyond the internet, however, to become a normal term for losses or failures in general.
Source : “I totally took the L on that multi(variable calculus) exam.” Fellow MATH 212 student, 10/3/19
Last modified: 11 December 2019