Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to drink.

1659		J. Shirley Honoria and Mammon III i: Mammon is a Blouze. A deformed Gypsie [...] She paints abominably, ey’d like a Tumbler, Her Nose has all the colours of the Rainbow.
1674		T. Duffet Empress of Morocco Act III: Crimalhaz the Strong-water-man: I gave you wherewithal to paint ye, Therefore you need not be so dainty.
1853		G.J. Whyte-Melville Digby Grand (1890) 44: Each hotel we passed on our pilgrimage called forth the same observation, ‘I guess I shall go in and paint.’.
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 119: Each gent is airin’ his idees an’ paintin’ his nose accordin’ to his taste.
2000		Guardian G2 10 Feb. 16: ‘To paint’ (ie to paint the nose red) was an old slang term for drinking.

2. to beat, spec. to give someone a black eye; cite 1867 suggests a general beating of the face.

1823		J. Catnach Tom and Jerry’s Rambles Through Paris 1: They pommil’d the charlies, and painted their peepers.
1829		Pierce Egan’s Wkly Courier 22 Mar. 4/2: Dobell napt it [...] his mug was painted all over.
1849		Sam Sly 19 May 2/2: We advise Jack K—n—ls not to promise that young girl, at the cigar divan, he will marry her [...] or else Mr. B—r—ns will paint his face for him.
1860		Kendal Mercury 19 Aug. 3/1: While she’s stampin’ an’ shootin’ oot hullyballoo! / An’ paintin’ yer frontispiece, as it is noo.
1867		Cumberland Pacquet 23 Apr. 8/1: [He] forced her down, and beat her about the face. When he had finished he told her that ‘he had painted her once, and would paint her again’.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 11 July 26/1: But send us, Lord, a prophet with a punch, / Who’ll knock Jack Johnson’s teeth into a bunch. [...] / But send us, Lord, an artist who can feint, / And under Johnson’s eye a large ‘mouse’ paint.

3. (US gay) to have a bowel movement during anal intercourse.

1988

H. Max Gay (S)language.