subs. (American).—1. A self-lighting match or cigar.
2. (American).—A nickname of the Democratic party (1834–5). [At a meeting held in Tammany Hall the chairman left his seat and the lights were suddenly extinguished with a view to breaking up the meeting. Thereupon a section of the audience relighted the lights by means of their LOCO-FOCOS and continued the meeting.] Also as adj. = Democratic; belonging to the LOCO-FOCO party.
1843. DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, ch. xvi. p. 162. Here’s full particulars of the patriotic LOCO-FOCO movement yesterday, in which the Whigs was so chawed up.
1852. BRISTED, The Upper Ten Thousand, p. 98. The driver was a stubborn LOCOFOCO, and Masters did not disdain to enter into an elaborate argument with him.
