subs. (common).—1. Credit. TO GET A LIGHT = to get credit; TO HAVE ONE’S LIGHT PUT OUT = to exhaust one’s credit; to go STONY (q.v.).
2. (colloquial).—A model; an example: generally SHINING LIGHT.
1871. Figaro, 15 April. ‘A Lay of a Chelsea Bus.’
| And still the LIGHT seemed ill at ease, | |
| And knocked his fists upon his knees. | |
| Ibid. | |
| ‘Another’ was a SHINING LIGHT; | |
| His tie was limp, and once was white. |
3. In pl. (pugilistic).—The eyes. Also DAYLIGHTS (q.v.) and TOP-LIGHTS (q.v.).
1824. REYNOLDS, (‘Peter Corcoran’), The Fancy, p. 73.
| She knew a smart blow, from a handsome giver, | |
| Could darken LIGHTS, and much abuse the liver. |
4. In pl. (common).—A fool. For synonyms, see BUFFLE and CABBAGE-HEAD.
Adj. (old).—Wanton. Hence, LIGHT-GIVEN (BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy) = lewd of habit; LIGHT-HEELED (q.v.); LIGHT-O’-LOVE (q.v.); LIGHT-SKIRTS (q.v.); and so forth.
1538. T. ELYOT, Dictionary, s.v. Meretrix. An harlot, a brothel, an hoore, a strompet, a LIGHT housewyfe.
1567. EDWARDS, Damon and Pithias [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, iv. 50]. Eubulus. Believe her not, she is a LIGHT goddess; she can laugh and low’r.
1594. BARNFIELD, Hellen’s Rape or a LIGHT Lanthorne for LIGHT Ladies (ed. ARBER), p. 38, in title.
1594. NASHE, Dido, Queen of Carthage, iii. 1 [GROSART (1885), VI. 33].
| I feare me, Dido hath been counted LIGHT, | |
| In being too familiar with Iarbas. |
1598. SHAKESPEARE, 2 Henry IV., i. 1. He hath the horn of abundance, and the LIGHTNESS of his wife shines through it. Idem, i. 2. Not so, my lord; your ill angel is LIGHT.
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Femina red monate, A bad LIGHT woman.
1599. HENRY PORTER, The Two Angry Women of Abingdon [DODSLEY, Old Plays, iv. 367].
| Hark ye, maid, if [a] maid, are ye so LIGHT, | |
| That you can see to wander in the night? |
1621. BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy (ed. 1893), i. 479. I write not this to patronize any wanton idle flirt, lascivious or LIGHT housewives, which are too forward many times.
1669. DAVENANT, The Man’s The Master, iv. i. I’m a very LIGHT hus-wife.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v.
1694. CROWNE, The Married Beau, i. 1. Lo. Oh! here’s my wife! see! she is no LIGHT piece.
1855. BROWNING, Men and Women, Vol. i. A ‘LIGHT Woman’ [Title].
TO PUT OUT ONE’S LIGHT, verb. phr. (common).—To kill. Also see subs., sense 1.
1602. SHAKESPEARE, Othello, v. 2.
| Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. | |
| Put out the light, and then—PUT OUT THE LIGHT. |
1619. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, The Maids Tragedy, iv. 1.
| Evad. You will not murder me? | |
| Mel. No; ’tis a justice, and a noble one, | |
| TO PUT THE LIGHT OUT of such base offenders. |
1868. Temple Bar, xxiv. 539. Hocussing is putting a chap to sleep with chloroform, and bellowing is PUTTING HIS LIGHT OUT.
1884. Graphic, 27 Sept., p. 315, col. 2. So now, the malefactor docs not murder, he ‘pops a man off,’ or PUTS HIS LIGHT OUT.
1891. Morning Advertizer, 3 April. The prisoners called him a ‘blackleg,’ and a O’Connor said if he went to work again he would PUT HIS LIGHT OUT.
1891. Star, 10 Feb., p. 3, col. 6. He had been heard to say, ‘I should like to PUT HER LIGHT OUT,’ and had fired at her bed-room window.
TO HOLD A LIGHT (or CANDLE) TO THE DEVIL. See DEVIL.
TO LIGHT THE LUMPER. See LUMPER.
TO LIGHT OUT, verb. phr. (American).—See quot. 1882.
1882. Notes and Queries, 6 S. v. 65. ‘Words & Phrases in Use in the Far West.’ LIGHT OUT, same as ‘Skin out.’… To leave secretly and hastily as when pursued by an enemy.
1884. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, i. So when I couldn’t stand it no longer, I LIT OUT.
1890. A. C. GUNTER, Miss Nobody of Nowhere, p. 34. LIGHT OUT as if hell was behind you!
1890. Scribner’s Magazine, Feb., p. 493. I want to jes turn in And take and LIGHT right OUT o’ here and get back West ag’in.
