put on the red light

verb

To advertise oneself as a prostitute.

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Meanings

verbput on the red light (third-person singular simple present puts on the red light, present participle putting on the red light, simple past and past participle put on the red light)

present singular third person puts on the red light · participle present putting on the red light

  1. idiomaticTo advertise oneself as a prostitute.

    Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light / Those days are over / You don't have to sell your body to the night

    1978, “Roxanne”, performed by The Police

Origin

Refers to the fact that a red light is traditionally placed in the windows of sex-related businesses; compare red-light district.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

put on the red light. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20on%20the%20red%20light

MLA

“put on the red light.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20on%20the%20red%20light. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put on the red light,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20on%20the%20red%20light.

Source: put on the red light on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.