Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US black) to fellate.

2008

in J. Miller Getting Played 78: Interviewer: Like what might he say and she says that's not true? Ronald: She faced 'em up [had oral sex with them].

(US Und.) a fellator or fellatrix.

1927		C. McKay Home to Harlem 282: ‘You lowest-down face-artist!’ the girl shrieked [...] ‘I’ll bawl it out so all a Harlem kain know what you is!’ .
1928		C. Panzram Journal of Murder in Gaddis & Long (2002) 115: I have met every kind of a crook there is [...] can-opener artists and sometimes face artists.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 37/1: Face artist, a sexual pervert.
1941		G. Legman ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry Sex Variants.
1965		Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 15: face artist (n.): A fellator. (Slang.).
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.

(US gay) semen, esp. when ejaculated onto a fellator’s face.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.
1988		H. Max Gay (S)language.

(US) cunnilingus.

c.1930

(ref. to late 19C) N. Kimball Amer. Madam (1981) 244: That always seemed to please the trade that wanted a face job in a black muff.

a counterfeiter.

1844		New Sprees of London 21: This crib is kept by a notorious face maker, named Bob Dorkings, the only surviving branch of a family that have all dropped off suddenly, at hot roll time.
1855		‘Joskin’s Vocab.’ in Yokel’s Preceptor 30: Face makers, Coiners.

the ejaculation of semen over one’s partner’s face.

1999

Roger’s Profanisaurus 3 in Viz 98 Oct. 12: face-painting v. To adorn one’s spouse with jelly jewellery (qv).

(US gay) fellatio.

1988

H. Max Gay (S)language.

(US black) to perform cunnilingus.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

to permit oneself to indulge in oral intercourse at the insistence of a partner.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

(US) to speak, esp. to speak rudely.

1896		Ade Artie 26: If you open your face to this lady again tonight I’ll separate you from your breath.
1901		Eve. Post 11 Jan. 6/5: Hould yer lyin’ tongue, and open your face at your peril!
1917		Wodehouse ‘Making of Mac’s’ in Man with Two Left Feet 123: He just thought a heap without opening his face.
1924		Nottingham Eve. Post 10 Sept. 5/2: You just open your face with that sort of talk in Alberta and you’ll hear something to your good.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Blood Pressure’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 81: Nobody as much as opens his face from the time we go in until we start out.
1936		(con. 1920s) Dos Passos Big Money in USA (1966) 784: Out our way a man can’t open his face without stirrin’ up a hornets’ nest.
1967		(con. 1950s) McAleer & Dickson Unit Pride (1981) 43: Don’t let me catch any of you guys openin’ you face to anythin’ different.

to be quiet; esp. as imper. shut your face!

1879		Dly Gaz. for Middlesborough 19 July 4/2: He [...] told me to ‘shut my face, or he would knock half my b—y snout off’.
1892		in Punch 26 Nov. 252: Shut yer face, you pattering josser!
1896		S. Crane George’s Mother (2001) 122: Close yer face while I gits me smoke!
1906		E. Pugh Spoilers 27: You shut your face.
1909		Eve. Star (Wash., DC) 1 Aug. 31/3: Siit down, Gett, and shut the front door of your face.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 295: You keep your face closed, George, and you too, Morgy.
1916		T. Burke Limehouse Nights 308: Shut yeh silly face.
1919		C.H. Thorp Handful of Ausseys 272: Oh, shut yer face an’ give yer mouth a chance, you hungry-gutted coot.
1920		F. Packard White Moll 172: ‘You close your face, Pinkie!’ he snapped.
1927		‘Max Brand’ Pleasant Jim 50: ‘You, Chuck, shut your face,’ said the marshal peremptorily.
1927		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 20 Aug. 11/2: Eventually the model ‘S.M. Herald’ leader will read like this [...] If we thort ger wun minit Jack Lang wus jonnick we’d shut our face.
1935		C. Odets Awake and Sing! I i: Shut your face!
1937		R. Westerby Wide Boys Never Work (1938) 106: Shut your face up, sonny.
1945		N. Marsh Died in the Wool (1963) 182: You shut your face or I’ll knock your bloody block off.
1951		M. Spillane Long Wait (1954) 15: If you’re holding me on a charge, name it or shut your face.
1962		H. Livings Nil Carborundum (1963) Act I: Shut your face.
1979		Lette & Carey Puberty Blues 77: Shut ya face or you’ll get it too.
1984		P. Barker Blow Your House Down 1: Brenda rounded on her, ‘Shut your face, you.’.
1994		F. Mac Anna Ship Inspector 205: ‘Fuck off.’ ‘Shut your face.’.
2000		Indep. 3 June 8: Just shut your face and leave it all to me.
2009		Observer Mag. 4 Jan. 14: A guy like that should shut his face.

1. a beating-up.

1905		McClure’s Mag. 25 26/1: ‘Got the face-ache?’ demanded the second mate, rising with a clenched fist. ‘No, sir,’ stammered the steward [...] Doyle hauled off and floored him. ‘Got the face-ache now? [...] Well, you’ll get it every time you go screwing your mouth up behind an officer’.
1977		S. Stallone Paradise Alley (1978) 47: He and his brothers stood an odds-on chance of being waltzed into the alley and given a professional face-ache that would last them the rest of the summer.

2. a joc. form of address or nickname [the ache presumably comes f. laughter].

1914		Sport (Adelaide) 14 Mar. 4/6: Why does Joe W [...] swear when he sees Faceache .
1930		‘Leslie Charteris’ Enter the Saint 37: Face Ache — I mean Uncle Ambrose — is paying.
1937		E. Raymond Marsh 46: Kick off, Faceache.
1940		M. Marples Public School Slang 59: Invective again may be expressed figuratively [...] The metaphor may be contained in a single word — e.g. face-ache, fathead, batty [...] , half-baked.
1968		G. Slatter Pagan Game (1969) 162: I said, look here, face-ache.
1975		D. Nobbs Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976) 283: I’m very worried about you, face ache.
1992		D. Pinckney High Cotton (1993) 72: The Americans asked, ‘What do you boys have against the flag?’ and the British said, ‘You, face-ache.’.
1996		K. Lette Mad Cows 103: Jack [...] gave her one of his dubious, ‘Cut the crap, face-ache’ expressions.
2006		posting at forums.gorillaz.com 31 July 🌐 Hey, face-ache! didn’t I tell you to pay the heating bill before my birthday??

the head.

1961

R.A. Norton Through Beatnik Eyeballs 25: Fair near knocked a chick’s fise-box off one time.

(US black) $100 bill.

1998

Big L ‘Ebonics’ 🎵 Genuine is real, a face card is a hundred dollar bill.

sideburns.

1999

Roger’s Profanisaurus 3 in Viz 98 Oct. 12: face fannies n. Bugger’s grips; sideburns. As sported by ‘Rocket’ Ron Haslam, Sir Rhodes Boyson and the singer out of ‘Supergrass’.

1. (N.Z.) a belch.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 75: face fart 1. A belch.

2. (N.Z.) a general term of abuse.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 75: face fart [...] 2. Ugly person.

see feed one’s face v. (1)

a moustache, presumably a large one that protrudes on either side of the cheeks.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 372/2: late C.19–20.

a beard and/or moustache.

1896		Windsor Mag. 4 158/1: A Biblically minded pupil had, on the analogy of the Samson-Delilah case, come to the conclusion that were he shorn of his face-fittings, he would ipso facto lose his wonderful skill with the cane.
1904		Cornhill Mag. 89 678: [heading] The Folly of face-fittings. The ideal man is clean-shaven. Confidently he exposes to the world his features undisguised by hirsute appendages.
1941		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl.

(Aus.) male facial hair.

1901

W.A. Sun. Times (Perth) 28 July 1/1: The fierce-whiskered Dook intimated that face-fluff is the divine right of nobility.

see separate entries.

male facial hair, i.e. a beard and/or moustache; occas. as a term of address.

1904		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 13 May 6/2: He offered to pledge one of his whiskers [...] he had grossly over-capitalised his face-fungus.
1908		Punch 134 127/2: [He] will now be able to subject his chin to that prolonged and careful irrigation without which no really satisfying face fungus can be provoked.
[1915		S. Ford Shorty McCabe on the Job 199: The front office door opens easy, and in slips this face herbage exhibit].
1917		‘Taffrail’ Sub 132: Neither are the ‘young gentlemen’ encouraged to grow their face fungus.
1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 106: Few people have ever looked fouler than Bingo in the fungus.
1926		‘Sapper’ Final Count 860: Now then, face fungus, what the hell does it mean?
1931		Western Gaz. 13 Mar. 2/5: The old blades that Ole Bill uses these days to uproot his face fungus.
1938		J.B. Booth Sporting Times 74: He was a stout man, with a wide countenance adorned with grey, mutton-chop whiskers — a species of ‘face fungi’ much in vogue at the time.
1942		Sun. Post 22 Feb. 8/5: Get the skipper to allow you to shave off that face fungus of yours.
1946		R. Rivett Behind Bamboo 396/1: Face fungus, beard.
1961		R.S. Close With Hooves of Brass 111: ‘Believe it or not, Ziff is quite a good-looking bloke under that face-fungus’.
1963		A.E. Farrell Vengeance 67: D’ya think ’e’ll reck-ernise ya wiv’ out ya face fungis?
1993		K. Lette Foetal Attraction (1994) 266: There’s three inches of face fungus on his chin.
2006		S. Farndon Escape Inc. 228: Andy did a spot of the driving while I got rid of the face fungus.
2013		J. Stahl Happy Mutant Baby Pills 132: Even though [...] I now owned the requisite face fur, my people were fiends, not hipsters.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 177: [T]hose bearded brutes Marx and Kropotkin - just what is it about rancid face-fungus and subversion?

the mouth.

2005		Urban Dict. 20 July 🌐 Face Hole Used to describe a mouth or pie hole.
2021		Twitter 14 Oct. 🌐 Part of me thinks 'Christmas?' and the other part thinks ‘open all four [bottles] now and pour into your facehole’.

oral sex.

c.1930

(ref. to late 19C) N. Kimball Amer. Madam (1981) 244: [no text].

whiskers; a beard.

1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 445: Face lace, Whiskers.
1937		J. Curtis You’re in the Racket, Too 187: You couldn’t expect a tart to look twice at a bloke with face-lace like that.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 79: face lace Whiskers; a beard.

a father of an illegitimate child; thus face-making, conceiving a child illegitimately.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Face-making. Begetting children.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1822		Tom And Jerry; Musical Extravaganza 53: Face-makers, fathers of bastards.
1827		Egan Anecdotes of the Turf, the Chase etc. 177: The overseers, with tremendous frowns and black looks on their brows, threatened Sporting betsey [...] that if ever she committed more sins in the face-making* line—quod, and nothing else should be her portion. (*Slang phrase for bastard children).
1834		‘Rummy Toasts’ in Flare-Up Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) IV 295: Success to the face-making manufactory.

1. a male cunnilinguist.

c.1930		(ref. to late 19C) N. Kimball Amer. Madam (1981) 325: He was a nice old coot and was involved with what in the trade is called a gamahucker, a face man, a muff-diver, a lover of sea-food mama.
1970		Winick & Kinsie Lively Commerce 207: Increasingly, and especially in the last decade, prostitutes and madams report substantially more customers who are seeking oral satisfaction (‘muff diver’ or ‘face man’) [HDAS].
1984		L. Paros Erotic Tongue 146: [I]t’s the face-man who favors eating out.

2. an attractive man, a ‘pretty boy’.

1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 113: Face man A sexually attractive person, male. A socially adept person.
1980		M. Thelwell Harder They Come 153: Dah youth over deh by de bar. You see how ’im have face? Prety bwai, nice in ’im face. Is a faceman dat.
1991		Guardian Weekly 15 Sept. 21: Your fellow drinkers back at the bar, for instance. Are they students? [...] They won’t be drunk at the end of the evening, they’ll be combooselated. They may be facemen (handsome) or fugly (fat and ugly).

3. (US gay) one who watches himself in a mirror while masturbating.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 128: face man = one who masturbates while looking in a mirror.

(US) speech, verbal delivery.

1906

Mexico Missouri Message (MO) 18 Jan. 3/1: His Face Music was as rough house as a police captain talking fireworks to his men .

to place one’s palm on one’s forehead to indicate frustration or stupidity; also as n. and excl.

2011		Guardian 23 Nov. 🌐 One of [Susie Dent’s] favourite creative words was ‘facepalm’, indicating the movement of someone's palm to their forehead [...] it is being used as a verb or a noun. You can say, ‘She gave herself a facepalm … or you can just say, “Facepalm! Lol”.’.
2012		C. Eble UNC-CH Campus Sl. 2011 4: FACEPALM — place the hands on the face out of annoyance or frustration: ‘I facepalmed when Steve said that in front of the class.’ ‘You are so stupid! Facepalm!’.
2016		C. Eble UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2016 3: FACEPALM — drop one’s face into one’s hand as an expression of exasperation, embarrassment [...] When written, usually placed between asterisks: ‘I forgot my homework on my desk. *Facepalm*’.

(US) a fall face-first to the ground, also as v.

1998		D. Lehane Gone, Baby, Gone 295: He whacked me on the back in what I guess was a friendly show of camaraderie that almost sent me into a face plant into the mud.
2012		M. Lacher On the Bro’d 57: Beth totally tripped and faceplanted.
2019		J.A. Struthers Appel 217: I was happy I didn’t impact a building or do a face plant on the regiment’s parade square.

(Aus.) an alcoholic drink.

1941

K. Tennant Battlers 173: It was Uncle who insisted that, as Snow was just out of hospital, they should all stop at the first hotel and get him a ‘face plaster’.

(Aus.) facial hair.

1990

T. Winton Human Torpedo 31: He didn’t look old enough for a job, even with all the face-prickle.

(US gay) one who is especially attracted to the face.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 77: face freak (queen) one whose head is turned by a pretty face; homosexual who equates sexual ability with the handsomeness of his partner.

(US campus) to kiss passionately.

1986		Eble Campus Sl. Oct.
1996		Eble Sl. and Sociability 31: Some compounds are grammatically ambiguous. Facerape ‘kiss passionately’ can be analyzed noun + verb or noun + noun.

(Aus.) a beard.

1961

R.S. Close With Hooves of Brass 114: ‘One spark in that face scrub, and it would blaze up like a gum!’.

(US gay) a homoscxual who enjoys having having his anus licked and sucked.

1987

J. Fritscher Stand by Your Man 83: Young face-sitter hungry for heavy tongue rimjob wants lip service [Simes:DLSS].

(US) an old woman who attempts to look young.

1922

Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL) 14 Sept. 4/4: The Flappers’ Dictionary [...] Face Stretcher: Old maid who tries to look young.

used of anyone seen as duplicitous or unreliable.

1925		Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases 56: CHURCHYARD CLOCK, AS MANY FACES AS A: Used of an unreliable man (Old Navy).
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 721/2: C.19–early 20.

see separate entry.

a phr. used to describe someone who is irresistibly charming.

1762

Smollett Sir Launcelot Greaves I 165: Your honour’s face is made of a fiddle; every one that looks on you loves you.

(Aus.) to get angry, excited or over-emotional (cf. get one’s guts in a knot under gut n.).

1900		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 12 Dec. 7/7: Bushie need not get his face in a knot, as I am willing to ride against any girl under 20 years of age, for 50 miles, without a saddle or padding, for a small stake.
1919		World (Hobart, Tas.) 11 June 6/3: I am not your enemy because I want to elucidate matters in the interests of my clients. So don’t get your face in a knot when I ask you a fair question!
1946		Northern Star (Lismore, NSW) 16 Mar. 7/4: A big business man with baggy trousers and his red face in a knot.
1948		D. Ballantyne Cunninghams (1986) 135: ‘What a face!’ she told her eldest son, who came in with his nose in a knot about something.

(orig. US black) to stop pestering, to leave alone, esp. as imper.; vars. are ad hoc, see cits. 1928 and 1979; thus in someone’s face

1928		in P. Oliver Songsters and Saints (1984) 33: Take those scroungers out of my face.
1932		Lonnie Johnson ‘Cat You Been Messin’ Around’ 🎵 Yes woman you’ve been messin’ around / So woman get out of my face / Or I take my fist and knock you down.
1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 4: Jim Crow just wouldn’t get out of my face.
1954		(con. 1920s–30s) J.O. Killens Youngblood (1956) 38: ‘Man, get outa my face,’ Joe Youngblood said.
1956		L. Hughes Simply Heavenly I iii: Melon, I say, get out of my face.
1961		O. Davis Purlie Victorious in Black Drama I ii: Get outta my face, boy – get outta my face, before I kill you!
1968		J. Colebrook Cross of Lassitude 274: I cold-cocked her with a water jug. She wouldn’t get outa my face.
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 43: If you so slick, why you here, motherfucker? Get out of my face.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 38: You jive flat-backing zero bitch, stay out of my face!
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 95: Tell ’im get out you face. Jus’ righteously ride ’im down to the ground!
1987		Ice-T ‘Rhyme Pays’ 🎵 Came into the party just to rock the place / And your big zombie lookin’ freak still won’t get out of my face.
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 174: Git ootay ma face. Tell us it wisnae you thit turned Tommy oantae Sekker n that crowd.
2004		B.K. Ray Cold Wing Dinner 169: So get out of my face with that bullshit.

(US) to challenge, to attack.

2012

M. Lacher On the Bro’d 75: She was looking to bitch out on somebody. She started getting all up in Ricky’s face.

to collapse with laughter.

1969

A. Buzo Rooted I i: Jees I had to laugh. Nearly went off my face.

see run (on) one’s face (for)

1. to be ugly, e.g. she’s got a face on her like...

1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
1982		J. Davis Kullark 65: Sour faced ol’ cow. ’Ad a face on ’im like death.

2. to be in a troubled, nervous mood.

1988		R. Doyle Commitments 4: He didn’t mind the song. But Jimmy had a face on him.
2000		F. Mac Anna Cartoon City 45: Myles noticed Jarlath Boon skulking in the far corner with a face on him like a boiled squirrel.
2000		P. Howard Miseducation of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly (2004) 177: Clementine [...] is sitting there with a big face on him.
2017		L. McInerney Blood Miracles 51: ‘I don’t know what you did but she’s got a face on her’.

to be penniless.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: N’are-a-face-but-his-own Not a Penny in his Pocket.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: No face but his own: a saying of one who has no money in his pocket or no court cards in his hand.
1801		‘Modern Dict.’ in Sporting Mag. May XVIII 100/1: [as cit. 1785].
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant n.p.: Ne’er a face but his own not a farthing in his pocket.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.

(orig. US black) in a confrontational manner, used of one who forces their attentions on another; often as get in someone’s face v., to confront, to provoke.

1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 106: He got in my face just as I stepped into the lobby [...] ‘You’re Milton Mezzrow, aren’t you?’ He seemed too honest for a bill-collector or a process-server.
1969		B. Jackson Thief’s Primer 143: Down here in prison, one of these rums, one of these idiots, he’s not going to get in my face.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 135: What the fuck you doing here in my face?
1988		Ice-T ‘Power’ 🎵 I’m outspoken, no jokin’, get in my face your jaw will get broken.
1992		D. Burke Street Talk 2 19: She’s always in my face!
1997		T. Fontana and S. Jablonski ‘Ancient Tribes’ Oz ser. 2 ep. 2 [TV script] ‘Why did you do it?’ [i.e. an assault] ‘He got in my face’.
1997		L. Pettiway Workin’ It 187: I wish I had never stole from her or cussed her out ’cause she be in my business – you know, telling me to calm down and don’t do this and take care of the children.
1999		N. Cohn Yes We have No 146: Some yob is always in his face.
2002		W.D. Myers Handbook for Boys 12: [W]hen people do things for you, they start getting all up in your business.
2007		W. Ellis Crooked Little Vein 71: Look, I’m sorry I got in your face before.
2007		W.D. Myers ‘marisol and skeeter’ in What They Found 181: I’m not the kind of girl who goes around getting into other people’s business and I definitely don’t want you in mine.

1. aggressive, intense, confrontational.

1974		Detroit Free Press (MI) 1 Dec. 4D/5: It’s his way of saying: ‘There — You see!’ ‘In your face,’ they say on the street.
1977		Wash. Post 25 Feb. D1: Pipkin was the epitome of the ‘hot dog’, interested only in a personal, in-your-face confrontation with the defender of the moment.
1980		Philadelphia Dly News (PA) 11 July 86/4: ‘He went on to do incredible things at Drake. Sort of gave us an in-your-face job’.
1998		L. Stringer Grand Central Winter (1999) 64: That’s Bold Gold. Worn gangsta-style. Up-front and In-Your-Face.
2000		Guardian Editor 21 Jan. 19: Asking in-your-face questions to outrageous guests.
2004		Indianapolis Star (IN) 15 Apr. 73/2: ‘My son pops out his pacifier and says, “Oh, shit.” That was my first in-your-face moment’.
2012		Star trib. (Minneapolis, MN) 12 May A11/1: The impact of in-your-face talking heads, TV’s extreme close-ups [...] violate real-life social norms.

2. unashamed.

1993

J. Mowry Six Out Seven (1994) 21: Stacy had graduated to in-your-face fat, and these days you wouldn’t even figure he owned a shirt.

(UK black/gang) wearing a mask.

2018-20

T. Thorne (ed.) ‘Drill Slang Glossary’ at Forensic Linguistic Databank 🌐 No face - masked, with identity concealed.

(UK/US Black / gang) phr. claiming that if the police have no identification of an individual, they cannot bring a case against them in court.

2014		avvo.com 17 Jan. 🌐 Is the saying "no face no case" true? [...] You could still be convicted on circumstantial evidence even if the video is not definitive. So, no, that phrase is not automatically true.
2016		1011 ‘Next Up?’ 🎵 Get round there and ching man up, like anything B get wetted / No face, no case.

1. under the influence of drink or drugs.

1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 78/1: off one’s face stoned on marijuana.
1996		P. Temple Bad Debts (2012) [ebook] Danny come in [...] drinking Jim Beam, in and out of the pisshouse, gets off his face. They kicked him out.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 148: Marcello’s wide awake now, but still off his face.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 33: Foof, am off me fuckin face . . . this is just fuckin incredible. [Ibid.] 106: Am just pissed off mi ferce.
2009		P. Temple Truth 140: ‘She’s okay?’ ‘Um, speak freely, boss?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Off her face, boss.
2011		Times Review 30 Apr. 3/6: He started working for them ‘sitting 16ft up a lighting rig, off my face, pretending to work’.
2017		T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 21: He’s on ‘rowies’ — a tranquiliser ten times stronger than Valium. His entire gang [...] are off their pock-marked faces on it.

2. in fig. use, extremely enthusiastic about.

1992

K. Lette Llama Parlour 19: My project’s in turnaround at the Sundance Institute [...] Redford is apparently off his face over it! He’s zonked. Like totally.

3. crazy.

1982		H. Beaton Outside In Act II: Fucken off their faces, I reckon.
1986		R. Beckett Dinkum Aussie Dict. 39: Off his (or her) face: Mad.

(US) on credit, for free.

[1873		Sl. Dict. 156: Face entry the entrée to a theatre. From the FACE being known, as distinguished from free-list entry].
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 56: I went through all the regular pockets – not a sou-marquee. ‘This is nice,’ I thought, ‘I can’t do the Continent [...] on my face.’.
1918		‘Ian Hay’ Last Million 149: ‘How do we get there?’ inquired her practical friend. Miss Lane [...] smiled seraphially. ‘I guess we can do it on our faces.’.

under the influence of drink or drugs.

1972		E. Grogan Ringolevio 46: Both of them were goofballed out of their faces.
1984		Totally True Diaries of an Eighties Roller Queen 🌐 6 Aug. [Internet] I went to the beach with Karey L. We got smoked up. Holy shit – were we ever stoned out of our faces.
1999		Guardian Rev. 13 Aug. 19: You don’t even try to get up in the morning / You just reach for your skins and you’re out of your face.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 36: Greta and I [...] got loads of brown and got smashed out of our faces.

(UK black) absent, away.

2001

(con. 1981) A. Wheatle East of Acre Lane 201: I’m outta your miserable face.

to obtain credit through deceit or bravado.

1760

O. Goldsmith ‘Serious reflections on the life and death of the late Mr. TC ’ in Coll. Works (1966) III 47: There are three ways of getting into debt; first by pushing a face, as thus, ‘You Mr. Lutestring, send me home six yards of that paduasoy, dammee; but harkee, don’t think I ever intend to pay you for it, dammee.’.

(orig. US) to obtain credit.

[1795		J. O’Keeffe Life’s Vagaries 24: Well, I didn’t run in debt for my face].
1840		Morning Herald (N.Y.) 7 Feb. 2/2–3: At the better place, many of them can run their face for drinks.
1846		D. Corcoran Picking from N.O. Picayune 76: He is never loth to ‘run his face’ whenever the credit system leaves an aperture into which he can insinuate it.
1862		J.R. Lowell Biglow Papers 2nd series (1880) 66: Men whose word wuz full ez good’s their note, / Men that can run their face for drinks.
1873		J. O’Connor Wanderings of a Vagabond 94: He would start on a spree, and keep it up as long as he had a cent or could run his face for a dram.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 16 Sept. 17/1: [G]etting her meals irregularly where she could ‘stand up’ the restaurant keepers, or going without them when she failed to ‘run her face’.
1905		‘Central Connecticut Word-List’ in DN III:i 17: run one’s face, v. phr. To make use of one’s credit.
1942		W.L. McAtee Dial. Grant County 53: Run one’s face...use one’s credit, buy on tick [DARE].
1965–70		in DARE.

see under soak v.¹ .

see under suck v.¹

see under suck v.¹

(orig. US black) arguing with, confronting face-to-face, e.g. as get up / jump up in(someone’s) face.

1970		A. Young Snakes (1971) 102: You oughtta see how nice my old man been now [....] Remember how the cat use to all the time be up in my face and standin on my head?
1982		W.D. Myers Won't Know Till I Get There 57: I knew that Hi-Note and Earl had been edging toward a showdown for a while, but I didn't think Hi-Note would jump up into Earl's face like that.
1988		W.D. Myers Scorpions 149: ‘Don’t jump up in my face ’cause you got a gun’.
1996		W.D. Myers Slam! 203: What I would have really liked to have happened was to let the coach come up and jump up in my face.
2000		W.D. Myers ‘Monkeyman’ in 145th Street 80: One of the Tigros spotted Monkeyman and got up in his face.
2002		(con. 1998–2000) J. Lerner You Got Nothing Coming 74: All I’m sayin’ to you is that when some motherfucking two-ton toad gets up in your face, starts [...] playing you, you’re gonna want some righteous woods to stand up for you.
2002		W.D. Myers Handbook for Boys 138: ‘I bet you feel funny sitting there hearing me talk about God, don't you? [...] Me putting God all up in your face when you just want to eat your breakfast’.
2007		W.D. Myers ‘marisol and skeeter’ in What They Found 181: ‘[D]on’t be jumping up in my face because I don’t like that’.
2011		G. Hayward Corruption Officer [ebook] Ch. 11: Just lookatcha, runnin’ round here, up in all these bitches faces telling ya corny jokes and shit.
2011		Myers & Workman Kick 174: ‘You’re all up in my business, ain’t you?’ McNamara came back.
2021		‘Aidan Truhen’ Seven Demons 10: Sean got all up in my face about a murder he committed.

a dismissive rejoinder.

1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 38: ‘Your face,’ Leva said. ‘Your mother’s box,’ Milt said.
1978		Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 2: in your face, facial – exclamation: That’s unfair. That was unsuccessful.
1991		M. Myers et al. Wayne’s World [film script] Wayne: New York. ’Yo! Taxi!!! In your face!’.
1996		(ref. to 1963) D. Healy Bend for Home 174: Oh but I do. You do in your gob.
1999		Indep. Rev. 10 July 8: Yo’ Momma! In yo’ face!
2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 158: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Take you there. In your face.

a general dismissive excl., often following a real or imagined request for a match.

1965		A. Hamilton If you Don’t Watch Out 93: ‘Well, let’s have a cigarette before I go. Got a match?’ ‘Yes. Your face and my ass’.
1967		Southern Folklore Quarterly Vol. 31 29: Do you have a match? Your face and my ass. Your breath and my farts. My socks, your breath. Not since Superman died.
1986		S. King It (1987) 348: ‘Your f-f-face and my buh-buh-butt, T-T-Tozier,’ Bill said and hung up.
1989		(con. 1960) P. Theroux My Secret Hist. (1990) 175: ‘Give me a match, shit-for-brains.’ ‘Your face and my ass,’ Larry said, and punched him on the arm.
1996		(con. 1970) G. Moxley Danti-Dan in McGuinness Dazzling Dark (1996) I iii: Your face and my ass.
1998		J. O’Connor Salesman 292: ‘Have you a match?’ I said. ‘Your face and me arse, Homer.’.
2004		Beastie Boys ‘Craswlspace’ 🎵 Here’s a match – my ass and your face.