Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an eye, usu. in pl.; thus queer lamp, a blind, sore or squinting eye; in cite 1904 used as nickname.

1593		M. Drayton Nymphal IV in Chalmers IV (1810) 454/2: mert.: O let not those life-lightning eyes In this sad veil be shrouded. clor.: O, my Meretilla, do not praise these lamps, so dimly burning, Such sad and sullen lights as these Were only made for mourning.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: Lamp. An eye. The cove has a queer lamp. The man has a blind or squinting eye.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1811].
1830		W.T. Moncrieff Heart of London III iii: I have seen this kid before! [...] yet I can’t swear to the person – my lamps must be queer.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 127: lamps. The eyes.
1861		Bell’s Life in Sydney 14 Sept. 4: Dave [...] was met by a stinging hit on the left lamp.
1867		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 5 Oct. n.p.: I heard hom showing [...] the ‘fly-cop’ up, telling them [two pickpockets] ‘to keep their lamps lit for him’.
1874		J.H. Carter ‘Our Member From Duck Creek Settlement’ Log of Commodore Rollingpin 221: Got his lamps on the White House — the President’s chair.
1889		Punch 23 Feb. n.p.: And she tipped me a look from her lamps, as was sparklers and fair in a glow.
1892		H. Lawson ‘Jack Dunn of Nevertire’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 222: My lamps were turned to Yankee Land, for I’d some people there.
1892		Brooklyn Dly Eagle (NY) 4 Dec. 3/7: ‘Well,’ broke in Lamelamp O’Leary, glaring at Slob with his one eye.
1898		Binstead & Wells Pink ’Un and Pelican 179: A cove as knew the value o’ using the lamps ’ee’d got in his ’ead.
1899		W.J. Kountz Billy Baxter’s Letters 34: Talk about lavish eyes. My boy! my boy! but this dame was there with the swell lamps. A hundred candle power easily.
1900		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 24 Oct. 1/2: I have been keeping my lamps on on St Clair for some time.
1901		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 6 Mar. 1/6: I planked him such a beauty / Just between his lamp and ear.
1902		‘Billy Burgundy’ Toothsome Tales Told in Sl. 68: He was a pugnacious little pest with protruding blood-shot lamps.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 128: I noticed the one-lamped knight.
1904		St Paul Globe (MN) 7 Aug. 27/2: ‘She’s a Romeo rag-ga, ain’t ta it?’ protested ‘Lamps’, the ‘Dago’, a handsome Italian boy with notable black eyes.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 2 June 4/8: O, I promise yer, ’is lamps was extry bright, / But I bluffed ’im when I started to recite.
1908		N.Y. Eve. Journal 25 Apr. in Fleming Unforgettable Season (1981) 53: He took one despairing glance [...] through one corner of his offside lamp.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 26 June 2nd sect. 12/7: Few can / Evade the lynxy lamps of ’Arry Mann.
1912		Van Loan ‘McCluskey’s Prodigal’ Ten-Thousand-Dollar Arm 257: A pair of lamps on him like two holes burned in a pink blanket.
1920		F. Packard White Moll 179: I was wonderin a minute ago how you were goin’ to keep your lamps on Pete and Marny from here.
1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 139: Lamps: Eyes.
1931		‘Toledo Slim’ in Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 229: As I gazed into her lamps.
1934		C. Drew ‘Zarzoff’ in Bulletin 18 July 48/3: We went into the Adam’s-apple-squeezin’ game with our lamps shut.
1938		F.D. Sharpe Sharpe of the Flying Squad 331: He had his lamps on the copper.
1944		D. Runyon Runyon à la Carte 64: What about some kind of operation? I remember they take a bum lamp out of Joe the Goat.
1951		Cusack & James Come in Spinner (1960) 327: She was the only sheila around that didn’t look as though she ’ad a bad smell under ’er nose when she got ’er lamps on to me.
1953		W. Hopson ‘The Ice Man Came’ in Thrilling Detective Winter 🌐 She looked at me out of those blue lamps.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxiv 4/3: darkening of the lamps: Blackening of the eyes.
1969		P. Boyle All Looks Yellow to the Jaundiced Eye 58: Blondie switches a pair of lamps on Shaybo that would shrivel your soul.
1977		E. Torres Q&A 90: I knew it as soon as that Nancy walked into your office and put the lamps on you.
1977		D. Powis Signs of Crime 191: Lamps Eyes.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.
1990		J. Wambaugh Golden Orange (1991) 174: Buster turned on those thick-lashed lilac lamps of his.

2. in pl., spectacles.

1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 165: I think you’ve got your piping-off lamps a bit twisted.
1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 3 Dec. 39/2: Slip acrost an’ knock ’is lamps orf so as ’e won’t be able ter reckernise yer; put yer ’and through ’is pockets.
1989		J. Morton Lowspeak.

3. (US) a look or glance.

1921		Broadway Brevities Dec. 50: Did you get a lamp at estelle Winwood’s new Britisher?
1927		Dunning & Abbott Broadway II. 250: Let’s take a lamp at him.
1944		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 16 Sept. 12A: Them uprights, ole man, were with it like milk and butter — one good lamp and you stammer and stutter.
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 21: Now for a quick lamp over the slag.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 14: An old boiler was glauming him from a couple of tables away. What the hell he thought – he gave her the lamp to come and post her deaf and dumb on the seat.

4. in pl., the female breasts.

1970

(con. 1950s) H. Junker ‘The Fifties’ in Eisen Age of Rock 2 (1970) 99: A bust was a pair of [...] lamps.