lightmans

English

Etymology

From light +‎ -mans.

Noun

lightmans (uncountable)

1. (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) The day.

   Antonym: darkmans

   • 1612, Thomas Dekker, Lanthorne and Candle-light‎:

     And then to the Trin'de on the chutes, in the lightmans / The Bube & Ruffian cly the Harman beck & harmans.

   • 1828, Edward Bulwer Lytton Baron Lytton, Pelham, Or, Adventures of a Gentleman:

     Why, you would not be boosing till lightman's in a square crib like mine, as if you were in a flash panny?

   • 2012, Kate Ross, A Broken Vessel:

     Mr. Kestrel's out to dinner with some of his pals, and he 'most never comes home till lightmans.

Derived terms

• bene lightmans

References

• [Francis Grose] (1788), “Lightmans”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC.
• Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890), “lightmans”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volume II (L–Z), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, →OCLC, page 17.
• John S[tephen] Farmer; W[illiam] E[rnest] Henley, compilers (1896), “lightmans”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume IV, [London: […] Harrison and Sons] […], →OCLC, pages 195–196.

Anagrams

• Tilghmans