put on the red light
To advertise oneself as a prostitute.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She was forced to put on the red light to survive.”
“The desperate woman had to put on the red light just to pay her rent.”
“In the darkest corners of the city, many women were driven by poverty to put on the red light.”
Derived from the tradition of placing a red light in the windows of establishments involved in the sex trade. The practice provided a visual indicator for those seeking such services and subsequently informed the designation of the red-light district.
- 01
amber light
Hesitance to proceed; limited approval or permission to proceed.
- 02
bleed red ink
To suffer from severe net losses.
- 03
bright lights
The glamour and glitz of a place, especially a big city.
- 04
bring to light
To expose, disclose or reveal something that was hidden or unknown.
- 05
clap one's hands red
To clap or applaud intensely.
- 06
come to light
To become known; to be revealed.
- 07
cut red tape
To reduce bureaucracy.
- 08
false light
A point of view resulting in a misleading or inaccurate representation of a person, situation, or fact.
Last updated August 10, 2026