Green’s Dictionary of Slang

‘A slap on the face and a kick on the breech’ (Grose 1785).

c.1698

170017501800

1823

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Tower-Hill-play a slap on the Face and a kick on the Breech.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Tower hill play, a slap on the face, and a kick on the breech.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.