1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. III., ch. 5. Every star its glim at hiding.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. 16. Let's have a glim . . . or we shall go breaking our necks.
1837. Lytton, Ernest Maltravers, Bk. I., ch. 10. 'Hush, Jack!' whispered one; 'hang out the glim and let's look about us.'
1852. Judson, Myst., etc., of New York, ch. iv. Old Jack bade Harriet trim the glim.
1883. R. L. Stevenson, Treasure Island, p. 89. Sure enough, they left their glim here.
1884. Henley and Stevenson, Admiral Guinea, ii., 6. Now here is my little glim; it aint for me because I'm blind.
2. (old).—A sham account of a fire as sold by flying stationers (q.v.).
1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, i., 233. His papers certify any and every 'ill that flesh is heir to'. . . . Loss by fire is a glim.
3. in. pl. (common).—The eyes.
English Synonmyms.—Blinkers; daylights; deadlights; glaziers; lights; lamps; ogles; optics: orbs; peepers; sees; squinters; toplights; windows; winkers.
French Symonyms.—Les quinquets (popular = bright eyes, Vidocq); les mirettes (popular and thieves'; Italian: mira = sight); les reluits (thieves': also Daymans—Or lightmans [q.v.]); les calots (thieves' = marbles); les châsses or les châssis (popular = hunters'); les lampions (thieves' = lamps (q.v.); Italian: lanterna and lampante); les apics (thieves'); les ardents (thieves' = piercers); les œillets (popular = eyelets; les lanternes de cabriolet (popular = giglamps); les clignots (popular = winkers); les carreaux (thieves'—windows); les clairs (thieves' = shiners); les coquards (thieves').
Italian Synonyms.—Lanterna (= a lamp); calchi; balchi; brunotti (= brownies); lampante.
Spanish Synonyms.—Fanal (= lantern); lanterna (= idem); visantes (vulgar); vistosos (vulgar).
German Synonyms.—Dierling (from stieren = to stare); Linzer; Scheinling (from Schein = daylights (q.v.)).
1824. P. Egan, Boxiana, iv., 417. His glims I've made look like a couple of rainbows.
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 47 [ed. 1854]. Queer my glims, if that ben't little Paul!
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, II., 339. Harold escaped with the loss of a glim.
1892. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, p. 56. A pooty gal, gentle, or simple, as carn't use her glims is a flat.
4. in. pl. (common).—A pair of spectacles. For synonyms, see Barnacles.
5. (common).—Gonorrhœa or clap (q.v.). [From sense 1 = fire.]
Verb (old).—To brand or burn in the hand.
1690. B. E., Dict. of the Cant. Crew, s.v. As the cull was Glimm'd, he gangs to the Nubb, c., if the Fellow has been Burnt in the Hand, he'll be Hang'd now.
1714. Memoirs of John Hall, p. 15. Profligate women are glimm'd for that villany, for which, rather than leave it, they could freely die martyrs.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
To puff the glims, Verb. phr. (veterinary).—To fill the hollow over the eyes of old
