Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an old man, esp. as an ogler of young women, e.g. chorus-girls.

1868		Rockhampton Bull. (Qld) 1 Oct. 3/2: It was but a simple and primitive society [...] when men caled each other Addlehead, Baldhead, Barebones, Bitch [...] Chisels, Dolt [...] Fogey [...] Gander [...] Maggot, Mangy, Muff, Muzzy.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Apr. 12/2: A miscreant sent us the following wretched conundrum last week:– ‘What is more appreciative of a good leg than a front-row baldhead at the ballet? […] A bulldog.’.
1887		Lantern (New Orleans, LA) 20 Oct. 4/2: Mike will push through the entire week to the pleasure of the bald-heads who like such shows.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 5 July 1/3: ‘How do you like the body of this dress? D’you think it will go down?’ ‘If it goes down [...] another fraction of an inch [...] the stalls will be crammed with bald-heads’.
[1890		Music Hall & Theatre Rev. 12 June 5/1: It is really a treat to see the beads of perspiration forming on the bald old heads of the front row as they watch the flying feet of this delightful artiste].
1894		Mirror of Life 3 Mar. 2/4: what ‘baldheads’ admire [...] The ballet girl appears to be as attractive as ever, and her performance generally draws the old men in large numbers.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 6 Oct. 12/4: The last time he spoke he put his foot in it: ‘When I went to Adelaide a little while ago,’ he told the House, in his halting accent, ‘I went and visited all the girls I could -’ ‘Oh! Oh!’ exclaimed the Baldheads.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.
1914		Truth (Melbourne) 10 Jan. 11/5: If old baldhead is at their elbow [...] the chances are he is ogling their curves from behind.
1920		Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang Oct. 21: Lots of baldheads have been buying wine for baby dolls in New York for generations.
1926		Wood & Goddard Dict. Amer. Sl. 30: leg-show. Refined dancing and near-singing girlie show, patronized by successful bald-heads.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1951		Green & Laurie Show Biz from Vaude to Video 99: ‘Coax Me,’ was made famous by Lottie Gilson [...] who sang it alluringly to front-row baldheads on which she reflected the spotlight with a mirror.
1962		B. Veeck Veeck — as in Wreck 72: Greek spotted a line of baldheads in the seats a little below us.
1972		(con. c.1930) G. Sothern Georgia 39: Up front were the bald heads, hot and sweating, staring up at us.
1997–2000		Da Bomb 🌐 2: Bald-head: Old man. Hey, look over there by the cafeteria. There’s a bald-head.

2. (W.I.) a Rastafarian who does not, however, sport the characteristic beard and dreadlocks.

1960		cited in Cassidy & LePage Dict. Jam. Eng. (1980).
1988		Bunny Wailer ‘Bald Head Jesus’ 🎵 All ye bald head Jesus followers start to fret / [...] / You’vew never seen the image of a bald head Jesus yet.

3. (N.Z./W.I., also ballhead) a white person.

1978		D. Hebdige Subculture 59: It became all too easy for black youths to dismiss their white contemporaries along with the teachers, the police and the bosses as ‘Babylon’ or ‘crazy baldheads’.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 332: They called white folks ‘baldheads’.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 12/2: bald head (also bald’ead) n. 1 a person of European origin.

4. (W.I.) a non-Rastafarian black person.

1976		Bob Marley ‘Crazy Baldheads’ 🎵 We gonna chase those crazy / Baldheads out of town.
1978		D. Hebdige Subculture 150: ‘Crazy baldhead’ [...] refers literally to those who don’t wear ‘dreadlocks’.
1994		P. Baker Blood Posse 155: Here we are cursing the gangs and calling them Yankee bald heads.
1995		Francis-Jackson Official Dancehall Dict. 2: Baldhead non-rastafarians; of unrighteous behaviour.
2019		C.D. Rosales Word Is Bone [ebook] There’s a bunch of bald heads running around on the grass.

5. (US black) a very closely shaved haircut; thus one who wears one, i.e. a skinhead.

1996		P. Beatty White Boy Shuffle 92: Just don’t get one of those Jack-Johnson-black-buck-hey-look-at-me-I’m-an-athlete baldsheads.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 12/2: bald head3 a skinhead or a neo-Nazi white supremacist gang-member .