Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an eye; usu. in pl.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 169: Phil, intimating that, as soon as he had put on his trousers, he would black Bill’s eyes, roared out, ‘Wait till I’ve togged my “round-the-houses,” and then I’ll cook your “mince-pies”’ for you.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1880		D.W. Barrett Life and Work among Navvies 40: Keep your mince pies on the Billy Gorman.
1890		Music Hall & Theatre Rev. 5 July 7/2: He screwed up his mince and answered [etc].
1893		Brian Daly ‘Jerusalem’s Dead’ 🎵 My mince-pies are waterin’ jes like a pump, An’ they’re red as a ferret’s.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘The Victimless Villain’ Sporting Times 3 Mar. 1/4: She shut up his mince with her fairy-like fist.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 229: He thinks he’ll never be able t’ shut his mince pies again.
1914		E. Dyson Spats’ Fact’ry (1922) 58: Cast yer mince-pies over Nippo O’Kieffe, late of the push, now a leading light in Methodist circles.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 404: Fine! Got a prime pair of mincepies, no kid.
1923		Sun. Times (Perth) 30 Dec. 45/7: ‘Bli’ me!’ he ejaculated, ‘screw the old pot with the crook minces!’.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 124: If I get my minces on the bastard again I’ll break him in half, straight I will.
1938		L. Ortzen Down Donkey Row 201: That’s a fine sight for yer old mincepies, eh?
1946		S. Jackson Indiscreet Guide to Soho 43: He [...] uses his ‘mince pies’ for the first sign of anyone dodging the queue.
1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 149: ‘I know what’s in there,’ said the boggie looking Solie straight in the minces.
1959		D. Niland Big Smoke 176: He’s got his dirty big mince pies on a bit of pussy.
1963		L.F. Freed Crime in S. Afr. 106: His ‘mince pies’ [are] his eyes.
1968		A. Burgess Enderby Outside in Complete Enderby (2002) 303: Never clapped mincers in you, get it?
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog 13: She ’ad golden Barnet Fair an’ a smashin’ pair of mince pies.
1976		(ref. to 1930s) R. Barnes Coronation Cups and Jam Jars 76: We both sat crying our mincers out.
1977		S. Berkoff East in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 47: We two first set our minces on each other.
1979		R. Barker Fletcher’s Book of Rhy. Sl. 25: His mince pies were watery.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 36: Mince Pies Eyes.
1985		S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 134: You could have shown a face at least to plonk your minces on the scene.
1996		J. Cameron It Was An Accident 22: One mince pie was covered up. All round it was blotched, bruised.
1998		K. Sampson Awaydays 8: There’s fuck all wrong with his minces far as I know.
1999		D. Looser ‘Boob Jargon’ in NZEJ 13 33: mince pies n.pl. Eyes - rhyming slang.
1999		Guardian Weekend 25 Sept. 24: One twin wore glasses or shades over two of our four mince pies.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 117/1: mince pies n pl. 1 eyes 2 black eyes.
2001		M. Coles Bible in Cockney H44: He couldn’t take ’is minces off her. She was a real looker!
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 70: I notice the bird [...] basically giving me the mince pies on a grand scale.
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 85: He points over at Mort but keeps his mincers locked on.
2019		P. Baker Fabulosa 295/1: minces eyes.

2. (N.Z. prison) lies.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 117/1: mince pies n pl. 3 (also mincy pies) lies.