Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a hit or blow.

1890		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 31 May 7/4: As she was about entering it Henry lifted his hat and prepared to follow her. Then he got a paste on the nose.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 56: Paste, a blow with the fist.
1911		Indep. (Footscray, Vic.) 18 Mar. 3/2: Smith’s bowling encountered much ‘paste’, or rather it ‘got slops,’ a rather disappointing feature just as the final is approaching.
1932		(con. 1910s) J.T. Farrell Young Lonigan in Studs Lonigan (1936) 134: Andy got so many pastes in the mush, he was dizzy.
1954		J. Steinbeck Sweet Thursday (1955) 93: If a certain young lady don’t come to order they’re going to get a paste in the puss!