housewives, which are too forward many times.
1669. Davenant, Man's the Master, iv. i. I'm a very light hus-wife.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1694. Crowne, Married Beau, i. 1. 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. Shakspeare, 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, Maid's 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 does 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. M.Twain, Huckleberry Finn, ch. i. p. 2. So when I couldn't stand it no longer, I lit out.
1890. Gunter, Miss Nobody, p. 34. Light out as if hell were 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.
Light-blue, subs. (old).— Gin. For
synonyms see Drinks and Satin.
1820. Reynolds ('Peter Corcoran'), The Fancy. . . Never again I'll cultivate light-blue or brown inebriety.
1822. Randall's Scrapbook . . . My brain-box is airy with Deady's light-blue.
1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue (3rd ed.), s.v.
Light-bob, subs. (military).— 1. A
light infantry soldier. For synonyms
see Mud-crusher.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1846. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, xxiv. Mr. Stubble, as may be supposed from his size and slenderness, was of the light-bobs.
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, xi. 'A light-bob on each side, with his arms sloped.'
1870. Daily Telegraph, 27 Sept. 'On the Superior Education of the German Soldier.' It was true that the German light-bob was an assistant judge in the Berlin Court.
2. in pl. (military).—The Forty-third Foot.
Lighter. See Lump.
Light-fantastic, subs. (common).—Dancing;
e.g., 'To work the
LIGHT FANTASTIC'. [Cf. MlLTON,
l'Allegro: Come and trip it as
you go On the light fantastic
toe]. Fr. la sauterie.
1843. Stirling Coyne, Binks the Bagman, i. 1. Then you're fond of sporting on the light fantastic.
