DCHP-2

leg [lɛdʒ] Leg, Leg., leg., The Leg DCHP-2 (November 2016)

• 1 n. — abbreviation, Politics, informal

  abbreviation for 'legislature' or 'legislative assembly'; often the leg.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The term leg is an abbreviation for "legislature" or "legislative assembly" (see the first 2004 quotation). The term appears to be occur frequently in newspaper headlines (see the 1987 and 1993 quotations), as seen in the earliest attestation of the term. In addition to being an abbreviation primarily for "legislature", which is 'the legislative body of a nation, province, etc' (see COD-2, s.v. "legislature" (1)), it is also used to refer to provincial legislative buildings, or buildings that host provincial legislative sessions (see the 2012 quotation, see meaning 2). Chart 1 shows that the term is used most frequently in Alberta, Manitoba, the Yukon and Nunavut, with PEI, Saskatchewan and BC also showing some use, as can be seen from the quotations as well.
  See also COD-2, s.v. "leg." which is marked "Cdn informal".

  See also: legislature  

  • This abbreviation appears to derive from newspaper headline language.

• 2 n. — abbreviation, Politics, informal

  abbreviation for 'legislative building' or legislature grounds; often the Leg.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — The Leg is also used to refer to the legislative building, or 'the building in which a provincial legislature meets' (see COD-2, s.v. "legislative building"). It refers to the building where the meetings are held specifically (see the 2012 quotations) or the grounds on which the building is situated. The use of this abbreviation is clearly informal, as seen by the frequent use of quotation marks around "the Leg" (see the 2013 quotation).