TOLLY NOUN a candle; a tallow candle - 1890 school sl., now arch. or hist. VERB to work by candle-light after the lights have been extinguished; to 'burn the midnight oil'; chiefly used with 'up' - 1890 Harrow School usage ETYMOLOGY apparently from tallow (n.) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1890 - Tolly (public schools), a candle; from tallow From: A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant - Albert Barrere and Charles Godfrey Leland EXAMPLE "...But at night, just before lights were turned out, or just after, when an Olympian is privileged to work a little longer by the light of the useful "tolly"..." From: The Hill: A Romance of Friendship (1905) - Horace Annesley Vachell
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
September 2021
|