face
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Credit at a public-house, impudence, confidence, brass; thus a BRAZEN-FACE. "To run one’s FACE," is to obtain credit in a bounceable manner. "He’s got some FACE," i.e., he has got lots of impudence.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “face” mean?
Credit at a public-house, impudence, confidence, brass; thus a BRAZEN-FACE. "To run one’s FACE," is to obtain credit in a bounceable manner. "He’s got some FACE," i.e., he has got lots of impudence.
Is “face” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.