the.com/lights out

The universal signal that the day is over and the trouble is just beginning.

means A command or signal that it's time to turn off the lights and go to sleep, or a sudden plunge into total darkness or unconsciousness.

from A literal military and institutional phrase: in barracks, dormitories, and prisons, an order or bugle call (in the U.S. Army, the tune 'Taps') signaled the moment all lights must be extinguished and everyone bedded down. From that nightly ritual the phrase spread outward — to boxing, where 'lights out' means a knockout that switches off consciousness, and to everyday speech for any abrupt end.

Boxing slang
Means a knockout so total nobody bothers counting
Naval tradition
A bugle call orders sailors to extinguish all lamps
Prison echo
Marks the nightly lockdown across cellblocks worldwide
Power grids
Mass blackouts can cascade across entire continents
Final words
A whispered euphemism for dying in countless cultures
for instance

lights out game show — british game show that aired on channel 4 in 1999-2000 where contestants answered questions in complete darkness

lights out creepypasta — viral internet horror story from 2008 by alex d. about a creature that turns off lights before attacking

lights out 2016 film — supernatural horror film based on the creepypasta, starring maria bello and directed by david f. sandberg

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