footlightn.

Brit.

/ˈfʊtlʌɪt/, U.S.

/ˈfʊtˌlaɪt/

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: foot n., light n.¹

Etymology: < foot n. + light n.¹, with allusion to the location of the lights on a level with the feet of the actors on stage.

Any of a row of lights placed along the front edge of a stage, on a level with the feet of the performers, and used to illuminate the performance. Also in extended use with reference to theatre or to theatrical performance. Chiefly in plural.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > a theatre > theatrical equipment or accessories > [noun] > stage lights

footlight1776

limelight1826

float1829

spotlight1875

ground-row1881

lime1892

baby spot1910

amber1913

spot1920

strip light1920

perch1933

follow spot1937

Mickey Mouse1937

pin spot1947

1776 Morning Chron. 24 Sept. The foot lights are extended apparently six feet; which..throws an uncommon brilliancy over the whole stage.

1789 tr. J.-F. de Bourgoing Trav. Spain II. 348 The front of the ancient stage, which, in our modern theatres, may be compared to the space in which the foot-lights [Fr. lampions] are placed, has been converted into an alley of mulberry trees.

1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. II. 205 The foot-lights have just made their appearance.

1880 ‘Ouida’ Moths II. 322 My own art has a little too much smell of the footlights; I have..too many [hours] with the gaslit crowds before me.

1918 Atlantic Monthly Apr. 475/1 Our home offered her neither audience nor stage, nor was there a footlight in the house.

1960 M. K. Harris Seraphina xvii. 171 The lights were clicked off at the back of the hall; the foot-lights glowed.

1994 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 10 Sept. 4 Ronnie Barker did six years' hard labour in an Oxford repertory theatre, throwing over his job in a bank for the glare of the greasepaint and the smell of the footlights.

Phrases

across the footlights: on stage; from the performers to the audience. Also in extended use.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > a theatre > stage > [adverb] > from stage to auditorium

across the footlights1847

1847 N. P. Willis Misc. Wks. 175 Who that for three hours has..been enraptured with a contralto across the footlights, is not ready to go to bed like a gentleman?

1875 Galaxy Aug. 226/2 His name..was being tossed across the footlights to a brilliant, clamorous multitude, who hailed him as the redeemer of the national stage.

1927 Daily Tel. 19 July 12/4 The Earl of Birkenhead..said..he had never succeeded in projecting his personality across the footlights.

1967 R. G. Hogan After Irish Renaissance ii. 21 A sophisticated comedy..and a dour drama..were both likely to come across the footlights as broad farce.

1999 S. H. Rifkind in J. G. Koeltl & J. Kiernan Litigation Man.: Trial 120 It left a vivid impression... It got across the footlights.

2002 Times 4 Apr. 21/5 It's a great talent and, even if it is preprogrammed, it pours across the footlights with the ferocity of a torrent.

Compounds

General attributive; also figurative, in the sense ‘of, relating to, or characteristic of a theatre or theatrical performance’.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > [adjective]

scenical?a1475

theatrical1558

theatral1594

histrionical1599

scenic1623

histrionic1656

thymelical1656

theatric1706

scenary1730

footlight1824

thymelic1849

showish1874

du théâtre1895

stagy1895

1824 Morning Chron. 21 Sept. A considerable alarm was excited throughout the house by some person in the gallery having flung a quart bottle on the stage, which..struck the foot light lamps, several of which it demolished, and alighted on the stage, where it smashed in pieces.

1870 J. R. Lowell Among my Bks. (1873) 1st Ser. 324 The foot-light style of phrase.

1894 ‘G. Egerton’ Keynotes 1 The mental picture of footlight flare and fantastic dance.

1956 Life 23 July 2/2 Five amateur productions of the same play in five cities show how footlight fever is sweeping the U.S.

2003 Boating Apr. 114/2 Of course, the contest has the inevitable footlight drama.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	footlight
释义	footlightn. Brit. /ˈfʊtlʌɪt/, U.S. /ˈfʊtˌlaɪt/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: foot n., light n.¹ Etymology: < foot n. + light n.¹, with allusion to the location of the lights on a level with the feet of the actors on stage. Any of a row of lights placed along the front edge of a stage, on a level with the feet of the performers, and used to illuminate the performance. Also in extended use with reference to theatre or to theatrical performance. Chiefly in plural. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > a theatre > theatrical equipment or accessories > [noun] > stage lights footlight1776 limelight1826 float1829 spotlight1875 ground-row1881 lime1892 baby spot1910 amber1913 spot1920 strip light1920 perch1933 follow spot1937 Mickey Mouse1937 pin spot1947 1776 Morning Chron. 24 Sept. The foot lights are extended apparently six feet; which..throws an uncommon brilliancy over the whole stage. 1789 tr. J.-F. de Bourgoing Trav. Spain II. 348 The front of the ancient stage, which, in our modern theatres, may be compared to the space in which the foot-lights [Fr. lampions] are placed, has been converted into an alley of mulberry trees. 1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. II. 205 The foot-lights have just made their appearance. 1880 ‘Ouida’ Moths II. 322 My own art has a little too much smell of the footlights; I have..too many [hours] with the gaslit crowds before me. 1918 Atlantic Monthly Apr. 475/1 Our home offered her neither audience nor stage, nor was there a footlight in the house. 1960 M. K. Harris Seraphina xvii. 171 The lights were clicked off at the back of the hall; the foot-lights glowed. 1994 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 10 Sept. 4 Ronnie Barker did six years' hard labour in an Oxford repertory theatre, throwing over his job in a bank for the glare of the greasepaint and the smell of the footlights. Phrases across the footlights: on stage; from the performers to the audience. Also in extended use. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > a theatre > stage > [adverb] > from stage to auditorium across the footlights1847 1847 N. P. Willis Misc. Wks. 175 Who that for three hours has..been enraptured with a contralto across the footlights, is not ready to go to bed like a gentleman? 1875 Galaxy Aug. 226/2 His name..was being tossed across the footlights to a brilliant, clamorous multitude, who hailed him as the redeemer of the national stage. 1927 Daily Tel. 19 July 12/4 The Earl of Birkenhead..said..he had never succeeded in projecting his personality across the footlights. 1967 R. G. Hogan After Irish Renaissance ii. 21 A sophisticated comedy..and a dour drama..were both likely to come across the footlights as broad farce. 1999 S. H. Rifkind in J. G. Koeltl & J. Kiernan Litigation Man.: Trial 120 It left a vivid impression... It got across the footlights. 2002 Times 4 Apr. 21/5 It's a great talent and, even if it is preprogrammed, it pours across the footlights with the ferocity of a torrent. Compounds General attributive; also figurative, in the sense ‘of, relating to, or characteristic of a theatre or theatrical performance’. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > [adjective] scenical?a1475 theatrical1558 theatral1594 histrionical1599 scenic1623 histrionic1656 thymelical1656 theatric1706 scenary1730 footlight1824 thymelic1849 showish1874 du théâtre1895 stagy1895 1824 Morning Chron. 21 Sept. A considerable alarm was excited throughout the house by some person in the gallery having flung a quart bottle on the stage, which..struck the foot light lamps, several of which it demolished, and alighted on the stage, where it smashed in pieces. 1870 J. R. Lowell Among my Bks. (1873) 1st Ser. 324 The foot-light style of phrase. 1894 ‘G. Egerton’ Keynotes 1 The mental picture of footlight flare and fantastic dance. 1956 Life 23 July 2/2 Five amateur productions of the same play in five cities show how footlight fever is sweeping the U.S. 2003 Boating Apr. 114/2 Of course, the contest has the inevitable footlight drama. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.1776
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