1839. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard (1889), p. 60.—‘Awake! To be sure I am, my flash-cove!’ replied Sheppard. Flash-Man, subs. (old).—Primarily a man talking flash (see quots., 1823 and 1862); hence, a rogue, a thief, the landlord of a flash-case (q.v.). Also a fancy-joseph (for synonyms, see Fancy-man). In America, a person with no visible means of support, but living in style and ‘showing up’ well. 1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 141. A flashman is one who lives on the hackneyed prostitution of an unfortunate woman of the town. 1823. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, II., 1. Soon one is floored upon the ground. While loud her flashman cries, ‘Arise, my ladybird, arise!’ 1823. Jon Bee, Dict. of the Turf, etc., p. 80. Derived from his language, and this again has its appellation (’tis suggested) from the first flash-men being highwaymen, that then generally abounded (circa 1770). He is the favorite, or protector of a prostitute, whose flash-man he is; and she is called inversely, his flash-woman. c. 1833. Broadside Ballad. My flash-man has gone to sea. 1849. New South Wales, Past, Present, and Future, ch. i., p. 14. This man was known to Mr. Day to be what is termed a flash-man; and, seeing his own imminent danger, he instantly spoke to him and called him a cowardly rascal, and offered to give him shot for shot, while he was re-loading. 1859. H. Kingsley, Geoffrey Hamlyn, ch. v. You’re playing a dangerous game, my flashman. 1862. Smiles, Lives of the Engineers, vol. I., pt. 5, ch. i., p. 307. Those articles were sold throughout the country by pedestrian hawkers, most of whom lived in the wild country called the flash, from a hamlet of that name situated between Buxton, Leek, and Macclesfield.... Travelling about from fair to fair, and using a cant or slang dialect, they became generally known as flash-men, and the name still survives (to which may be added: They paid, at first, ready money, but when they had established a credit, paid in promissory notes which were rarely honored.) a. 1873. Lyra Flagitiosa. [Quoted in Hotten.] My flash man’s in quod, And I’m the gal that’s willin’, So I’ll turn out to-night, And earn an honest shillin’. Flash of Lightning, subs. phr. (old).—1. A glass of gin; a dram of neat spirit. See Go and Drinks. Latterly, an ‘American drink.’ See quot. 1862. 1789. Geo. Parker, Life’s Painter, p. 164, s.v. 1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry (ed. 1890), p. 79. I have not exactly recovered from the severe effects of the repeated flashes of lightning and strong claps of thunder, with which I had to encounter last night. 1823. Jon Bee, Dict. of the Turf (quoted in). But ere they homeward pik’d it, A flash of lightning was sarv’d round to every one as lik’d it.