blue law
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blue law — n [blue puritanical]: a statute regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sunday ◇ Existing blue laws derive from the numerous extremely rigorous laws designed to regulate morals and conduct that were enacted in colonial New England. Merriam… … Law dictionary
blue law — ☆ blue law n. [said to be so named because orig. printed on blue paper] 1. any of the strict puritanical laws prevalent in colonial New England 2. a law prohibiting entertainment, business, etc. on Sunday … English World dictionary
blue law — blue′ law n. 1) law any law that forbids certain practices, as doing business or dancing, on Sunday 2) any of the puritanical laws of colonial New England regulating personal conduct • Etymology: 1775–85, amer … From formal English to slang
blue law — n AmE a law used in the past in the US to control activities that were considered immoral, such as drinking alcohol and working on Sundays … Dictionary of contemporary English
Blue law — A blue law is a type of law in the United States and Canada designed to enforce moral standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping. Most have been repealed, declared… … Wikipedia
blue law — noun a statute regulating work on Sundays • Topics: ↑law, ↑jurisprudence • Hypernyms: ↑law * * * noun Etymology: blue (I) (puritanical) … Useful english dictionary
blue law — any puritanical law that forbids certain practices, esp. drinking or working on Sunday, dancing, etc. Cf. sumptuary law. [1775 85, Amer.] * * * U.S. statute regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sundays. The name is said to derive from a… … Universalium
blue law — noun N. Amer. a law prohibiting certain activities, such as shopping, on a Sunday. Origin C18: in ref. to strict puritanical laws in colonial New England, orig. printed on blue paper … English new terms dictionary
blue law — noun (C) AmE a law to control sexual morals, the drinking of alcohol, working on Sundays etc; licensing laws BrE … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
blue laws — n. Laws regulating or prohibiting certain otherwise legal activities, especially commercial activities, either on Sunday or all the time for essentially a religious reason. For example, an ordinance prohibiting the operation on Sunday of a dance… … Law dictionary
