Green’s Dictionary of Slang

grin n.1

[note Egan, Life in London (1821): ‘A low slang term made use of in opposition to the stylish phrase of Quiz. It is considered rather an unpleasant circumstance to persons entering a splendid ball-room who are not accustomed to it. At all times it should be executed in a graceful manner’]

1. an inquisitive, challenging stare.

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[UK]Egan Life in London (1869) 333: The elegance of Tom, and the fine manly frame of Jerry, almost bid defiance to the grin which they otherwise might have encountered on making their bows at a place of such classic nicety.

2. in fig. use of sense 1, an advantage.

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[UK]Pierce Egan’s Life in London 26 Sept. 4/3: [T]hey never give the Whitechapel stickers a chance to have the grin against them in trotting their thorough-bred cattle over the stones.
Barman & Barmaid 12 July 3/2: The only man who has any ‘grin’ over them is the publican, who charges them sixpence a glass for stuff that costs him a shilling a bottle and fourpence for cigars that cost him three halfpence.

In phrases

stand the grin (v.)

to suffer ridicule.

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[UK]H. Lemoine ‘Education’ in Attic Misc. 116: A link-boy once, Dick Hellfinch, stood the grin, / At Charing Cross he long his toil appl’d.
[UK]B. Bradshaw Hist. of Billy Bradshaw 10: A link-boy first I stood the grin, / At Charing-cross I plied.
[UK]P. Egan Key to the Picture of the Fancy going to a Fight 11: If the Catolla can stand the grin well, this sort of playful satire affords much laughter.
[UK]Egan Life in London (1869) 185: These are the sort of flats that the cup and ball chaps like, who will play and stand the grin, till they are completely cleaned out, and have not a mag left to help themselves with.
[UK]Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
[UK]‘Dick Hellfinch’ in Rummy Cove’s Delight in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 105: [as 1791].