Green’s Dictionary of Slang

zit n.2

[ety. unknown]

1. (orig. US teen, also zat, zitz, zort) a spot, pimple or blackhead; also attrib.

[US]F. Kohner Affairs of Gidget 14: ‘How about the boys, hey’ [...] ‘Creepy zitties?’ ‘Plenty.’.
[US]Baker et al. CUSS 226: Zat [...] Zit A pimple. [Ibid.] 127: Zit city Poor complexion [...] Zitz [...] Zort A pimple.
[US]A. Maupin Tales of the City (1984) 10: She could still remember the exact location of the zit she had sprouted on the day of the photograph.
[Aus]C. Bowles G’DAY 1: Shane is a dole bludger. He's always boracic. [...] He wants to get rid of his zits.
[US](con. 1969–70) D. Bodey F.N.G. (1988) 171: I’ll wash my face with it every day from now on and whamo — Mr. Clean. Zit remover.
[Scot]I. Welsh Trainspotting 29: A collection of zit-encrusted, squeaky-voiced wankers.
[UK]Indep. Rev. 1 Oct. 12: There’s a little zit on her butt.
[UK]G. Malkani Londonstani (2007) 186: Anabolic steroid abuse can shrink your balls, give you zits an make you shit like a human expresso machine.
[US]D.R. Pollock ‘Discipline’ in Knockemstiff 117: Sammy’s dumb zit-faced cousin.
[US]J. Ellroy Hilliker Curse 28: My zits popped in the throes of my [...] passion.
[Aus]T. Spicer Good Girl Stripped Bare 16: [B]etween the mozzie bites and angry zits — I look like an anthropomorphic pizza.
[US]J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 176: A wigged-out wheelman with pizza-pus zits.

2. (US campus) any form of mark.

[US]Current Sl. I:1 7/2: Zit Something bad or unpleasant, crude — What’s that zit on your coat?

3. (US campus) a general insult.

Kokomo Morn. Times (IN) 8 Sept. 10/4: [headline] Are you a gleep? a zit? a goopus?
[US]in Baker et al. CUSS.

4. (US gay) an underage boy.

[US] (ref. to late 1960s) B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 45: any boy under the age of consent [...] zit (late ’60s).

5. a skin blemish left by a lovebite.

[US]G. Underwood ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 69: zit n Reddish mark caused by kissing.
[UK]J. Morton Lowspeak.

In derivatives

zitty (adj.)

acned, spotty.

[UK]Guardian Rev. 24 Sept. 8: Zitty geeks lusting after their teachers.
S. Barber ‘Killer, Duck and The Boys’ in ThugLit Apr. [ebook] His nose flattened against his pocked zitty face .

In compounds

zit features (n.) (also zitface)

a general term of abuse, delivered to one who has acne.

[UK]K. Lette Mad Cows 7: Store policy allows you to sell the bloody nursing bras [...] doesn’t it, zit-features?
[UK]Observer Mag. 27 Feb. 34: Hey, zitface, stop the worrying.
zithead (n.) [-head sfx (1)]

(US) a teenager, the image is of acned mediocrity.

[US]B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 54: Only to wind up taking home a paycheck that was more in line with what your average zithead from taco bell was making.
[Aus]R.G. Barratt ‘Licence to Swill’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] But don’t worry, zitheads. The breweries know how much money you bludge off your oldies.