point, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

point n.

1. the chin, the face, the nose.

1898		B.J. Angle in Morgan ‘House’ on Sport I 45: A competitor stopped by a blow on the mark is as much ‘out’ as though rendered helpless by a hit on the point .
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 20 Jan. 24/4: Murphy got most of the punishment, but bided his time until an opening offered in the 9th round, when a ‘daisy’ on the point sent Jack to rest.
1911		E. Dyson ‘On a Bender’ in Benno and Some of the Push 84: The Don punched the Dago fair on the point.
1924		C.J. Dennis ‘Narcissus’ in Rose of Spadgers 153: A doubt wot’s plugged me fair bang on the point.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: The point, the nose.
1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Sl.

2. (drugs) a hypodermic syringe.

1937		B. Dai Opium Addiction in Chicago.
1938		D. Maurer ‘Lang. of the Und. Narcotic Addict’ Pt 2 in Lang. Und. (1981) 107/2: point. 1. The hollow needle through which the injection is made.
1961		Rigney & Smith Real Bohemia 58: The dissolved drug is drawn up through a needle (the ‘point’) and then injected through the skin.
1968		N. von Hoffman We are the People Our Parents Warned Us Against 593: Hawaiian Chuck was handing out hepatitis-infected points to friends who’d burned him.
1971		Current Sl. V:4.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 172: Spike, point, blunt (hypodermic needle).
1992		J. Mowry Way Past Cool 62: The kids who crouched in doorways or stairwells with their pipes and papers and points.
1997		E. Little Another Day in Paradise 20: Make sure he’s [...] got enough to eat, dope to shoot, new points to do it with.
2001		ONDCP Street Terms 17: Point — A needle.

3. (US) anyone standing guard or leading the way [milit. jargon point, the man walking at the head of a patrol; ult. ranching jargon point, the front of a herd].

[1589		True Copy of a Discourse (1870) 39: Sir Henrie Norris (whose Regiment had the poynt of the Vangard)].
[1906		A. Adams ‘Bad Medicine’ Cattle Brands 🌐 A quiet little fellow, with pox-marks on his face, who always rode on the point].
1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 152: point 1. (prison sl) a lookout.
1986–7		Maledicta IX 150: The original argot of prostitution includes some words and phrases which have gained wider currency and some which have not […] point (bouncer or man on guard).
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 374: He knew of several murders, including two where he was involved in a minor way, like standing point while the killing went down.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 261: Janice drove point. Kinman tapped his horn. Kinman goosed her pipes.
2016		T. Robinson Rough Trade [ebook] If everyone had decided I was the point man on this disaster, then I was sure as hell going to be one .

4. a nipple.

1963

in T.I. Rubin Sweet Daddy 77: She had her good points [...] especially those at the end of her knobs.

5. (gay) any form of writing implement.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.

6. (Aus. teen) a pointed shoe favoured by a sharpie n.²

2004

(con. 1960s-70s) T. Taylor Top Fellas 19/1: In 1964 ‘Points’ were the shoes of choice: pointy toes, suede or two-tone, slip-on or lace-up [...] usually Cuban heeled.

7. (N.Z. prison) a knife.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 142/2: point n. a knife.

In phrases

keep point (v.)

(US prison) to keep a lookout.

1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 41: Keep Point [to keep] a lookout for prison guards or officials.
1993		K. Scott Monster (1994) 7: I kept point with a .38 revolver.

on point (adj.) [milit. point, the lead man of a patrol]

1. standing guard, keeping a lookout; thus run point, to take the lead.

1976		N. Thornburg Cutter and Bone (2001) 141: ‘Kind of puts me out there all alone, doesn’t it.’ ‘On point,’ Cutter said, ‘Which is the place to be.’.
1978		R. Caron Go-Boy! 218: I’ll be standing on point.
2009		(con. 1960s) J. Ellroy Blood’s a Rover 21: Sam G.’s running point now.
2020		D. Whish-Wilson Shore Leave 60: ‘I want you on point, Frank’.

2. alert, sharp, aware; also as adv. perfectly, correctly (see cite 2020).

1991		Tribe Called Quest ‘Check the Rhime’ 🎵 [Q-Tip] Are you on point, Phife? [Phife] All the time, Tip.
1993		K. Scott Monster (1994) 40: I was on point. Not only was I in jeopardy, but with me I had Mom.
1998		Source Oct. 22: His lyrics and beats were both on point.
2001		Source Aug. 68: I think the action scenes were on point. It added a rush to the movie.
2007		N. McCall Them (2008) 75: Her instinct about the store was more on point than she might have imagined.
2011		G. Hayward Corruption Officer [ebk] cap. 34: I didn’t like having to be on point like that all the time [...] so if it came down to him or me, it was most definitely going to be him.
2014		Young Jeezy ‘Enough’ 🎵 I’m on deck, on point, I’m straight, I’m cool.
2020		G. Krauze What They Was 118: I practise [a choke-hold] a few times on Gotti and he laughs [...] and says yeah brudda you’ve got it on point.
2023		Rayman & Blau Riker’s 240: You cannot relax [i.e. in prison]. You have to be on point twenty-four hours a day.

3. (US campus) attractive, e.g. of a garment.

2016

C. Eble (ed.) UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2016 7: ON POINT — attractive, stylish, perfect: ‘Sarah’s new shoes are gorgeous—really on point’.

4. (UK black) very important; first-rate.

2016		A. Wheatle Crongton Knights 89: I knew this mission was on point. How could we ignore Venetia’s distress?
2017		Eve. Standard (London) 17 Feb. 🌐 The Connoisseur called the strip burger ‘on point’ three months ago and I’d say exactly the same now if I were trendy enough.

SE in slang uses

In phrases

get points (v.) (also have points)

to have an advantage.

1908		‘Old Sleuth’ Dock Rats of N.Y. (2006) 66: We run from here to the place where our goods are landed; you would have all the points down on us, and were you my own brother, it would be necessary for you to join us or be silenced.
1982		G.V. Higgins Patriot Game (1985) 56: He was just turning an extra dollar, doing a piece of work for a guy that might be able to bail him out in the future, getting a few points.

give points (v.)

to permit an advantage to.

1883		American (Century) vi 383: Any average Eton boy could give points to his Holiness in the matter of Latin verses [F&H].
1892		Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday 19 Mar. 94/2: Harry Payne is a clown of the old school, ’tis true, but still he can give points and an easy licking to most, if not all, of his modern rivals [F&H].

make points (v.) [basketball imagery]

(US) to give a good impression, to ‘score’ with someone.

1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 206: I was building a model of the state cap’tol. I figured when I got it done, I’d duke it on the gov’nor, maybe make some points.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 62: I assigned Pachanga to make points for me when I wasn’t around.

work a point (v.) (also work points)

(Aus./US) to live by one’s wits, to take advantage by trickery and deception.

1898		W.T. Goodge ‘Australia’s Pride’ in Bulletin 3 Sept. 32: As he was fly he thought he’d try / The Sydney folks as well. / Their chances would be mighty slim / Of working any points on him.
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.] 110: [...] working points, i.e. living by your wits, dodging or loafing at work.
1903		Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Dec. 16/1: I think I know a plan / How to work a point on Ham and do him brown.
1921		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 23 Apr. 12/1: Definitions [...] Work— a slang expression, e.g., ‘Go and get work,’ ‘Work a point on him’.
1938		Duckett ‘Double Feature’ in N.Y. Age 22 Jan. 7/1: ‘Dontcha know she’s workin’ her points — jiving one of the boys’.
1945		Baker Aus. Lang. 140: A pointer is one who exploits another’s gullibility or takes him down by trickery; whence . . . to work a point.
1950		‘No. 35’ Argot in G. Simes DAUS (1993).