Ever noticed that Outlander fans tend to type LegHair instead of Laoghaire? Diana Gabaldon shares her thoughts about why.
During Diana Gabaldon’s Q&A on Twitter, one fan asked why Outlander fans use the name LegHair for a certain unlikeable character. Yes, this is all about Laoghaire, the 16-year-old who told people Claire was a witch and the same 36-year-old mother of two girls and second wife of Jamie Fraser.
The author of the novels couldn’t give a definitive answer, but she assumed that it was the joint dislike for the character. Gabaldon admitted that she could only speculate, but believes that the name-calling is a sense of camaraderie.
They dislike the character, and name-calling her (I think) gives them a sense of camaraderie with like-minded fans. https://t.co/Nh3ifJUAXK
— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) November 22, 2017
The real reason for the unusual nickname
While there are some who will use the nickname maliciously, there are many others who just see it as a running joke. The unusual nickname actually comes from fans being unable to pronounce the name Laoghaire for so long, which they now know is pronounced “Leary” or “Leery.”
It was only when the show was created that many fans finally heard the way the Gaelic name was said. Before this, they would attempt the phonetic pronunciation. “Laog” became “Leg” and “haire” became “Hair,” so “LegHair” became her name.
Some fans opted for “LaogHair” instead or “LogHair,” but it was the unusual nickname that stuck. Now many fans have stuck with it because it’s hard for them to replace the mistake with the real pronunciation. Also, many fans don’t like her so have opted to keep the questionable name.
Next: Diana Gabaldon answers fan questions in Outlander Q&A
How did you pronounce Laoghaire when you first saw it written? Were you a show-first fan so heard it before seeing the spelling? Share in the comments below.
Outlander continues on Sundays at 8/7c on Starz. Like Claire and Jamie on Facebook for more fan explanations.