British Slang For Face (Explained!)

The most common British slang for face is “mug”. This one is used and understood throughout most of Britain. Another common but less widely used term is “phiz” or “phizog”. Some others include “clock,” “kisser” or “dial”, though these are much less common. “Boat race” is Cockney slang for face.

We can all be a bit sensitive about our faces, so using abrasive slang terms to refer to someone’s face can be a bit of a dangerous game.

Remember to be polite and courteous, and that any two given people may interpret the use of a slang term about their face in very different ways.

Let’s find out more.

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What do the British say for face?

The most common British slang term for face is “mug”.

This one is used virtually everywhere in Britain to some degree, though it is certainly used more in some places than in others.

In any case, virtually everyone in Britain will understand what you mean by this term even if they don’t use it themselves.

That said, for the most part, people can take this to be a somewhat unpleasant term for face and the kind of thing you would still only use in certain contexts.

“He’s got a right ugly mug, hasn’t he?” for example.

There’s an extent to which it is considered offensive, so you want to be more than a little careful with how you use this one.

Another common slang phrase for face, though less common than mug, in British English is “phiz” or more commonly “phizog”.

This one is perhaps a bit dated now, so you’re more likely to be understood using this with an older person than with a younger one.

Indeed, many younger people may simply not understand this one at all, and it is falling out of use. “I need to get my phizog on TV,” for example.

Again, you want to be careful with how you use this phrase.

In general, any slang phrase for someone’s face is going to be considered a bit personal no matter what the connotations are.

“Phizog” is a harsh, abrasive word which can be taken to be offensive and unpleasant if used in an unfamiliar setting.

Just think about how you would feel if someone started talking about your face, whether to you or behind your back!

Offensive or not, these terms have a fascinating history behind them, so let’s look into where they come from.

Why do the British say “mug”?

“Mug” is a very old slang term in this sense and dates back to at least the 18th Century.

The earliest written attestation we have comes from 1708, so no doubt it predates this by at least a few decades in the vernacular.

The precise origin is not clear, though most agree that it derives from the practice of making mugs with hideous faces.

Such mugs were popularized in the 17th Century, and can still be found in some places today.

By the end of the 19th Century, the term had come to be applied to the photograph that would be taken for police records from which we get the term “mugshot” today.

This etymology is not definite, but there are no other solid theories about the origin of the phrase.

By the time it was written down, it was simply inherently understood by those who used it, hence there was no need to explain it.

Why do the British say “phizog”?

It will quickly become clear why “phizog” is not as common or popular as it once was, but nonetheless its origin is very interesting.

It’s somewhat older than “mug”, though not nearly as widely used today. It comes from the end of the 17th Century and is first recorded in the 1680s, as a jocular shortening of the term “physiognomy”.

This is a very old practice, now discredited, which emerged in the Middle Ages and was a way of supposedly judging someone’s character from their facial features and appearance.

Naturally, this practice was based in all sorts of prejudices and forms of unpleasantness.

Nonetheless, a fragment of it has survived today in the form of “phiz” and “phizog”, though they are starting to fall more and more out of use.

What else do the British call faces?

There are a handful of other terms the British use every now and then, and in some smaller regional dialects, to refer to faces.

“Kisser” is perhaps the next most common one you are likely to hear, though this more often refers just to someone’s mouth than someone’s face.

Again, it’s not the most polite thing to call someone’s face.

“Clock” is another, though the meaning of this has largely shifted now.

To “clock” something means to notice it, though this did arise out of the older meaning of your face since you tend to notice things with your eyes!

In Cockney rhyming slang, you might hear a face referred to as a “boat race”.

This form of slang is exactly what it sounds like– a rhyming word is substituted for the word you’re actually saying. This example probably comes from the early 19th Century.

“Dial” finally is another one, though you may be met with confusion if you use this to describe someone’s face. It’s probably the least commonly used of all the terms mentioned here.

The British do have a variety of colorful slang terms for face, then, but some are a great deal more common than others.

More or less whichever one you use, though, you want to be very wary of the context.

Referring to someone’s face as a mug, phizog, a clock or a dial can be taken in a derogatory way very easily, so you just want to mind what you say and where you say it.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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