green lightn.

Brit.

/ˌɡriːn ˈlʌɪt/, U.S.

/ˌɡrin ˈlaɪt/

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

Etymology: < green adj. + light n.¹

A green-coloured light (on a railway line, a road-traffic signal, etc.) giving permission to proceed. Frequently figurative: permission to proceed on a course of action, esp. in to give the green light.In earlier railway use (see quot. 1839) apparently designating a signal to proceed with caution, the signal to proceed being a white light.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > lack of subjection > permission > [noun] > permission to proceed

green light1839

go-ahead1843

1839 Roads & Railroads, Vehicles, & Modes of Travelling xviii. 330 A green light should be placed at each station at the spot where the engine-man should slacken his speed, and a red light at the point where he is to stop.

1885 Minutes Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers 82 223 Had not the Great Northern Railway Company adopted the green light as an ‘all right’ signal, and had all other companies adopted the ‘all right’ system throughout, the green light would have been set free for another and useful purpose.

1915 Central Electric Light & Power Stations & Street Railways, 1912 (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census) 396/1 A single green light with no telltale light indicates ‘Proceed’.

1915 Pop. Mech. Aug. 239/1 When the green light is given for one route the red light automatically goes on for the other route.

1925 J. Dos Passos Manhattan Transfer ii. v. 217 Green light. Motors race, gears screech into first. The cars space out, flow in a long ribbon along the ghostly cement road.

1937 T. Rattigan French without Tears iii. i. 126 We had a bottle of wine and got pretty gay, and all the time she was giving me the old green light.

1954 P. G. Wodehouse Jeeves & Feudal Spirit xxii. 216 Carry on, old sport. You have the green light.

1998 Zest July 129/1 The green light came on and we sped off, all jockeying to get the best position.

2005 Independent 24 Mar. 6/2 The report, which opponents see as giving the green light to designer babies.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	green light
释义	green lightn. Brit. /ˌɡriːn ˈlʌɪt/, U.S. /ˌɡrin ˈlaɪt/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: green adj., light n.¹ Etymology: < green adj. + light n.¹ A green-coloured light (on a railway line, a road-traffic signal, etc.) giving permission to proceed. Frequently figurative: permission to proceed on a course of action, esp. in to give the green light.In earlier railway use (see quot. 1839) apparently designating a signal to proceed with caution, the signal to proceed being a white light. ΘΚΠ society > authority > lack of subjection > permission > [noun] > permission to proceed green light1839 go-ahead1843 1839 Roads & Railroads, Vehicles, & Modes of Travelling xviii. 330 A green light should be placed at each station at the spot where the engine-man should slacken his speed, and a red light at the point where he is to stop. 1885 Minutes Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers 82 223 Had not the Great Northern Railway Company adopted the green light as an ‘all right’ signal, and had all other companies adopted the ‘all right’ system throughout, the green light would have been set free for another and useful purpose. 1915 Central Electric Light & Power Stations & Street Railways, 1912 (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Census) 396/1 A single green light with no telltale light indicates ‘Proceed’. 1915 Pop. Mech. Aug. 239/1 When the green light is given for one route the red light automatically goes on for the other route. 1925 J. Dos Passos Manhattan Transfer ii. v. 217 Green light. Motors race, gears screech into first. The cars space out, flow in a long ribbon along the ghostly cement road. 1937 T. Rattigan French without Tears iii. i. 126 We had a bottle of wine and got pretty gay, and all the time she was giving me the old green light. 1954 P. G. Wodehouse Jeeves & Feudal Spirit xxii. 216 Carry on, old sport. You have the green light. 1998 Zest July 129/1 The green light came on and we sped off, all jockeying to get the best position. 2005 Independent 24 Mar. 6/2 The report, which opponents see as giving the green light to designer babies. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.1839
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