1670. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn (1893), 47]. A light-heeled mother maketh
a heavy-heeled daughter. Because she doth all her work herself, and
her daughter meantime sitting idle, contracts a habit of sloth.
Mère piteuse fait sa fille rogneuse = a tender mother breeds a
scabby daughter.
Light-heels. See Light-skirts.
Light-house, subs. (old).—A red-nosed man.—Grose (1823). [Cf.
Shakspeare, I Henry IV, iii. 3. ‘Thou art our Admiral, thou bearest the
lantern in the poop.’ etc.].
Light-infantry, subs. (common).—Fleas; F sharps (q.v.). Cf. Heavy
Dragoons. Fr. la sauterelle and la sauteuse.
Lightmans, subs. (Old Cant).—See quots. Cf. Darkmans = night. Fr. le
matois; It. specchio.
1573. Harman, Caveat (1814), 65. The lightmans, the day.
1609. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candlelight. If we ... dup but the
gigger of a country-cove’s ken, from thence at the chats we trine
in the lightmans.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Markall, p. 39 (H. Club’s Repr. 1874).
Lightmans, the day.
1611. Middleton and Dekker, Roaring Girle, v. 1. Oh, I would lib
all the lightmans.
1663. R. Head, English Rogue, Pt. I. v. 50 (1874). Lightmans,
Morning or Day.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v.
1724. E. Coles, Eng. Dict. Lightmans, (break of) day.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v.
Lightness, subs. (old).—Wantonness: see Light, adj.
1614. Cook, City Gallant [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), xi. 254].
Kindness is termed lightness in our sex.
Lightning, subs. (old).—Gin. Flash of lightning (or clap of thunder) =
a glass of gin. For synonyms see Drinks and Satin.
1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, 154. Noggin of lightning. A
quartern of gin.
1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue (3rd ed.), s.v.
1838. T. E. Wilks, John Smith, i. 2. Sometimes we have a little bet
as well, but nothing to speak of—some heavy or a flash of
lightning.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., i. 160. He would ... express his desire
to add ... the stimulant of a flash of lightning.
Light-o’-love, subs. (colloquial).—A wanton.
1589. Nashe, Anat. of Absurditie, in Wks. (Grosart), i. 14. As
there was a loyall Lucretia, so there was a light a love Lais.
1592. Greene, Quip for Up. Courtiers, Bz. 6. Next them grew the
dissembling daisie, to warn such light o’ love wenches, not to
trust every faire promise that such amorous bachelors make them.
1599. Porter, Two Angry Women [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), vii.
295]. Foul strumpet, light-a-love, short-heels.
1605. London Prodigal, ii. 1. I hate a light o’ love, as I hate
death.
1620. Beaumont and Fletcher, Chances, i. 4. Sure he has encountered
Some light o’ love or other, and there means To play at in and in
for this night.
1652. Fletcher, Wild-Goose Chase, iv. 1. One of your London light
o’ loves, a right one! Came over in these pumps, and half a
petticoat.
1840. Mark Lemon, Lost And Won, i. 2. Now though Mistress Leyton
never oversteps the bounds of modesty, yet it does look so much
like what they would do were she a light of love.
1874. Ouida, Two Wooden Shoes, xxiii. You were spared a bad thing,
lad; the child was that grand painter’s light-o’-love, that is
plain to see.
Light-skirts, subs. (old).—A strumpet. For synonyms see Barrack-hack
and Tart. Also Light-heels.
1602. Cooke, How [to] Choose a Good Wife etc. [Dodsley, Old Plays
(1874), ix. 53]. I’ll tell my mistress as soon as I come home That
mistress light-heels comes to dinner tomorrow.
1606. Return from Parnassus [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ix. 118].
Hath not Shore’s wife, although a light-skirts she, Giv’n him a
chaste, long-lasting memory? Ibid. 127. You light-skirt stars....
By gloomy light perk out your doubtful heads.
1612. Passenger of Benvenuto [quoted by Nares]. F. The purse serves
for an art; but if I should briefly tell thee, what punkish art
derived from her progenitors this light-skirts used towards me,
thou wouldest laugh.
c. 1633. Lady Alimony, ii. 6. That light-skirt, with impetuous
heat, Sometimes pursu’d me.
1767. Ray, Proverbs [Bohn (1893), 64]. A whore, a light-skirts.
1834. Taylor, Ph. van Art., pt. II. iii. 3. Oh, she’s a light
skirts! yea, and at this present A little, as you see, concern’d
with liquor.
Light-troops, subs. (old).—Lice.
1823. Grose, Vulgar Tongue (3rd ed.), s.v. The light-troops are in
full march.
Light-weight, adj. (American).—1. Of little importance; weak.