Dictionary

give face en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

First used in the late 19th century (most likely in the colonial Hong Kong), a calque of dialectal Cantonese 畀面 (bei2 min2).

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To honor; to pay respect.
   • As one example among many of good intent gone wrong, we can mention the western top manager who felt that he gave face to the Chinese side by suddenly showing up himself to negotiate instead of sending a lower ranked employee. 2003, Martin Krott, Kent Williamsson, China business ABC: the China market survival kit, page 51:
   • We gave face to one another. 2000, Ko-lin Chin, Chinatown Gangs: Extortion, Enterprise, and Ethnicity, page 200:
   • While she gave face to the director, his subordinates, and her colleagues, she had no face left to herself. 2001, Wenshan Jia, The remaking of the Chinese character and identity in the 21st Century, page 135:

Forms

Relateds

save face

give face en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Compare give head.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, slang) To perform cunnilingus.
   • Frank had pushed her pants down to reveal her pink pussy and was giving her face. She was in ecstasy. 2001, Letters to Penthouse XIV, page 107:
   • I'd hold her ass while I was giving her face, licking and sucking while she tried to escape, anticipating her orgasm when all of the sudden she would burst sweet honey and come all over my face while the earth shook. 2004, Henry Joseph Rychlicki, Fragments of My Life: A Sex Fiction, page 121:
   • Boys gave face, girls gave head. 2011, J. Darroll Hall, The Lollipop Book, page 107:

Forms

give face en · VERB · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (with to) To confront.
   • He has been shot twice before, once when he was sixteen, that was some serious shit, sort of giving face to some dude, and the mother pulled out a.38 and boom, just like it was but a little more downtalk. 1997, Scott Turow, The Laws of Our Fathers:

Forms