Sorry if this post is a bit off-topic. Can someone help me to understand one Chandler's simile from The Little Sister? Here it is:

"Flack stepped back, took the black gun out of his waistband. He removed the key from the door, kicked it wide open, and brought the gun up hard and straight, like the wicked foreman of the Lazy Q."

Having not read any Chandler except for this selection under discussion, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. A quick search of an online publication of The Little Sister shows that to be the only occurrences of either of the terms "Lazy Q" or "foreman". Might it be a late 40s cultural reference or a reference to one of his other cases?

Yes, I think it is a reference. My best guess is that Lazy Q. refers to picnics. At least I've found this definition:

Lazy "Q' is a term that has been applied to the type of smokers that we build. Basically it is a horizontal pit with a gas burner placed offset from the cooking surfaces. A cast iron pan is placed above the burner and fist sized wood chunks are put in the pan. The gas burner provides the heat source and the wood the smoke. While not considered traditional BBQ, it does a more than adequate job in producing outstanding Barbecue.

But why is the manner of holding a gun compared to some foreman of the Lazy Q.?

I'm not sure, but "Lazy Q" looks like the name of a ranch to me. From my very sketchy memory, ranches were often named after the brand they used on their livestock. A "Lazy Q" would have been an inclined Q I think. The owner or head of a ranch was called a foreman.

Not sure exactly why "Lazy Q", or why that ranch's foreman was considered particularly mean or quick with a gun, but that's my guess.

I'd forgotten how good his description and characterization is. This guy continued where the Great Gatsby left off. Down-to-Earth poetic writing in a decent story. One of the greatest American authors.

Clearly a reference to a pulp western story. Don't ask me which one.

Thanks a lot for helping, everyone! Now I'm almost sure that it's the name of a ranch and a reference to some western novel or movie. And I've found other titles of books like this: Jean of the Lazy A., for instance. Thanks again.