red-lightv.
/ˌrɛdˈlʌɪt/, U.S. /ˌrɛdˈlaɪt/ 1. transitive. U.S. (chiefly Showmen's slang). To force (a person) from a moving train. Also in extended use.Probably with reference to the red light illuminated at the rear of a train at night.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > death > killing > kill [verb (transitive)]
swevec725
quelmeOE
slayc893
quelleOE
of-falleOE
ofslayeOE
aquellc950
ayeteeOE
spillc950
beliveOE
to bring (also do) of (one's) life-dayOE
fordoa1000
forfarea1000
asweveOE
drepeOE
forleseOE
martyrOE
to do (also i-do, draw) of lifeOE
bringc1175
off-quellc1175
quenchc1175
forswelta1225
adeadc1225
to bring of daysc1225
to do to deathc1225
to draw (a person) to deathc1225
murder?c1225
aslayc1275
forferec1275
to lay to ground, to earth (Sc. at eird)c1275
martyrc1300
strangle1303
destroya1325
misdoa1325
killc1330
tailc1330
to take the life of (also fro)c1330
enda1340
to kill to (into, unto) death1362
brittena1375
deadc1374
to ding to deathc1380
mortifya1382
perisha1387
to dight to death1393
colea1400
fella1400
kill out (away, down, up)a1400
to slay up or downa1400
swelta1400
voida1400
deliverc1400
starvec1425
jugylc1440
morta1450
to bring to, on, or upon (one's) bierc1480
to put offc1485
to-slaya1500
to make away with1502
to put (a person or thing) to silencec1503
rida1513
to put downa1525
to hang out of the way1528
dispatch?1529
strikea1535
occidea1538
to firk to death, (out) of lifec1540
to fling to deathc1540
extinct1548
to make out of the way1551
to fet offa1556
to cut offc1565
to make away?1566
occise1575
spoil1578
senda1586
to put away1588
exanimate1593
unmortalize1593
speed1594
unlive1594
execute1597
dislive1598
extinguish1598
to lay along1599
to make hence1605
conclude1606
kill off1607
disanimate1609
feeze1609
to smite, stab in, under the fifth rib1611
to kill dead1615
transporta1616
spatch1616
to take off1619
mactate1623
to make meat of1632
to turn up1642
inanimate1647
pop1649
enecate1657
cadaverate1658
expedite1678
to make dog's meat of1679
to make mincemeat of1709
sluice1749
finisha1753
royna1770
still1778
do1780
deaden1807
deathifyc1810
to lay out1829
cool1833
to use up1833
puckeroo1840
to rub out1840
cadaverize1841
to put under the sod1847
suicide1852
outkill1860
to fix1875
to put under1879
corpse1884
stiffen1888
tip1891
to do away with1899
to take out1900
stretch1902
red-light1906
huff1919
to knock rotten1919
skittle1919
liquidate1924
clip1927
to set over1931
creasea1935
ice1941
lose1942
to put to sleep1942
zap1942
hit1955
to take down1967
wax1968
trash1973
ace1975
society > travel > rail travel > [verb (transitive)] > discharge from a train > while moving and by force
red-light1927
1906 Amer. Illustr. Mag. Feb. 403/2 If this big, swarthy gabazo..tries to come into our car to-night he'll be red lighted, understand.
1927 J. Tully Circus Parade xvi. 254 The light still gleamed in the open door of the car from which we had been red-lighted.
1932 D. Hammett in Amer. Mag. Oct. 96/1 What's the circus and carnival slang term for kicking a guy off a train while it's going? Red-lighting. Sure, that's it—red lights. Who'd you red-light, Ferris?
1941 J. Smiley Hash House Lingo 46 Redlight, to discharge from a position.
2006 Denver Post (Nexis) 11 June (Arts & Entertainm. section) f12 It is a place where a horse that must be put down is turned into food for the carnivores and where men who can't be paid are ‘redlighted’.
2. transitive. colloquial. To signal, warn, or stop by means of a red light. Also in extended use: to deter, hamper; (chiefly Film and Television) to cancel or deny authorization of (a project or undertaking). Cf. red light n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > danger > warning of imminent danger or evil > warn (a person) of imminent danger or evil [verb (transitive)] > rouse to awareness of danger
scarea1400
alarm1650
alert1860
red-light1969
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [verb (transitive)] > stop a vehicle
red-light1969
1969 in P. Adam-Smith Folklore Austral. Railwaymen 187 Just before we got to the New Town siding, I red-lighted Mick the driver to pull up.
1975 J. Gores Hammett (1976) xiii. 92 I really red-lighted Shuman, and this must have been his idea of a smart way to get back at me.
1993 Press Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (Nexis) 17 May b1 Those two CHPs don't know that I was almost falling asleep at the wheel when they red-lighted me... They more than probably saved me from crashing.
1994 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (Nexis) 7 May 3 e The project was green-lighted, red-lighted and even taken away from them, only to be given back later.
2006 Variety 16–22 Oct. 31/2 ITV..has axed its kids' production arm and red-lighted all children's commissions.
2007 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 4 Aug. 21 I red-lighted the train and walked up to the driver.
Derivatives
ˈred-lighting n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > rail travel > [noun] > alighting or discharging from train > from a moving train by force
red-lighting1927
1927 J. Tully Circus Parade xv. 229 Red-lighting was an ancient and dishonourable custom indulged in by many a circus twenty years ago.
1990 Computerworld (Nexis) 25 June 77 We had no red-lighting—only green-lighting of ideas without focusing on cost or time issues.
2007 Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune (Nexis) 17 June The first thing that really shocked me was the practice of redlighting.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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