Etymology Journal ยท O
Out like a light
Meaning
- Falling asleep almost instantly. It describes the speed and total nature of someone passing out.
Observational, cozy
Used in a sentence
- The baby was out like a light after her long day at the park.
- He went out like a light the moment his head hit the pillow.
- I was so exhausted that I was out like a light before the movie even finished.
The backstory
The phrase refers to the instantaneous effect of flipping a light switch off. It has been a standard idiom for a rapid departure into slumber for decades.
Heard in
Nationwide
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