A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from September 20, 2012
“Stuff one’s face” (to eat greedily)

“Stuffing one’s face” (also “feeding one’s face” and “filling one’s face”) is to eat greedily. “Feed me face” was cited in print in 1887 and “feed your face” in 1891. “Stuff his face” has been cited in print since at least 1903.
 
“Fat” provides a more complete description for the face stuffing, feeding or filling. “She should stop stuffing her fat face and lose some weight” was cited in print in 1973 and “stuff your fat face with food” was cited in 1975.
 
 
Wiktionary: stuff one’s face
Verb
to stuff one’s face

1. (idiomatic, informal) To eat excessively.
 
The Free Dictionary
stuff (one’s) face Slang
To eat greedily.
 
(Oxford English Dictionary)
colloq. to feed (also stuff, fill) one’s face and variants: to eat, esp. greedily.
1887 Argonaut 25 June 6/3   He turned into a restaurant. ‘Axcuse me, will yer? I’m goin in here to feed me face.’
1914 G. W. Morrison Girls of Central High at Basketball xviii. 144   You can stuff your face with all those goodies while we ride into town.
1932 P. Hamilton Siege of Pleasure i. 36   She naturally felt that it was rather inconsiderate to go on calmly filling her face.
1973 A. Hess Munchies Eatbook i. 5   The Munchies..always manifest themselves in an uncontrollable desire to fill one’s face.
1988 L. Ellmann Sweet Desserts 53,  I couldn’t bear to be seen stuffing my fat face.
 
30 August 1891, Daily State Register (Springfield, IL), pg. 14, col. 3:
FEED YOUR FACE.
A Clean Place and the Best of Fare—Open Day and Night.
(...)
Stop and feed your face at Henry Gutzwilers.
 
13 September 1893, Newark (OH) Daily Advocate, pg. 8, col. 3:
While he was engaged in “feeding his face” at the lunch counter the train moved on.
     
19 November 1903, Humboldt County (CA) Independent, “The King’s Thanksgiving Tart” by Holman F. Day, pg. 10, col. 3:
And grant each grace to stuff his face with ‘taters, corn and meat.
 
Google Books
March 1935, Boys’ Life, “Doc’s Candelabrum” by James W. English, pg. 13, col. 2:
In a very nonchalant manner Toby said, “Yeh, great idea,” and continued stuffing his face with cookies.
 
Google Books
Top of the World
By Hans Ruesch
New York, NY: Pocket Books
1950
Pg. 20:
While waiting for the tea to cool he stuffed his face with frozen fish, talking between mouthfuls — mainly to himself, as was his wont.
 
Google Books
Sometimes a Great Notion: a novel
By Ken Kesey
New York, NY: Viking Press
1964
Pg. ?:
“Henry, take that bone outa your mouth and listen to me. If you’ll quit stuffing your face a minute maybe I can get something through to your ears.”
 
Google News Archive
6 August 1965, Florence (AL) Times, “Ask Ann Landers: Rather Stuff Than Please,” pg. 6, col. 2:
Some husbands don’t care if their wives get fat, but your husband DOES care and he has let you know it.
 
Obviously you’d rather stuff your face than please him.
 
Google News Archive
7 October 1970, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, “Keep Silent And Slim” by Ann Landers, pg. 3D, col. 1:
She has been on pills, diets and tried every gimmick in the world—except to stop stuffing her face.
 
Google News Archive
9 May 1973, Youngstown (OH) Vindicator, Ann Landers column, pg. 45, col. 2:
If she wants to be comfortable she should stop stuffing her fat face and lose some weight.
 
Google Books
Mr. Winkler’s Birthday Party
By William K. Gleason
Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing
1975
Pg. 30:
RALPH. (...) You never did anything except stuff your fat face with food and whine to anyone who would listen about your petty little problems.
 
Google News Archive
12 January 1979, Palm Beach (FL) Post, “John, Liz Take Strip In Stride” (UPI), pg. A16, col. 1:
John Belushi of the NBC-TV program “Saturday Night Live” donned a wig for an imitation of Miss Taylor, stuffed his face with a chicken and appeared to gag on it.

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityFood/Drink • Thursday, September 20, 2012 • Permalink


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