to have the cheek
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To have the face or assurance. "He hadn't the cheek to ask for more.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to have the cheek” mean?
To have the face or assurance. "He hadn't the cheek to ask for more.
Is “to have the cheek” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.