When a student misses or fails an exam, he or she often has to take a “makeup test.” It does not involve cosmetics, but there are several puns, such as this one from 2002:
“The other day I saw school students applying cosmetics. They were taking a makeup test. ”
(Oxford English Dictionary)
make-up, n. and adj.
N. Amer. colloq. A second examination for a student who has missed or failed the first one. Cf. resit n.
1934 in Webster’s New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. (at cited word), Make-up,..Educ. A special examination in which a student may make up for absence or failure at a regular examination. Colloq.
1942 L. V. Berrey & M. Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §835/1 Make-up (exam), a second examination to take the place of one omitted or in which a student has failed.
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
“Puns of the Weak” 07/02/02
Stan Kegel
8/2/02
(...)
The other day I saw school students applying cosmetics. They were taking a makeup test. (Douglas Helsel)
Google Books
September 2006, Boys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 61, col. 3:
Teacher: Why are you wearing so much makeup today?
Jade: I thought you said we were having a makeup test!
Brandon Rampersad, Terrytown, La.
Google Groups: talk.origins
Re: Did Jesus Exist in the Historical Record?
Greg G.
12/19/06
(...)
Some of the beauty school students were absent for the cosmetics exam, so they had to take a make-up test.
Twitter
Vanessa
@NenaLinda101
When I was little I thought a make up test involve cosmetics.
11:41 AM - 21 Jun 2011
Twitter
The Usual Suspect•»
@entrepreneggro
She brought her cosmetics box for a make - up test..... *smh
11:51 AM - 21 Feb 2012
Twitter
Matthew McInerney
@ThePunsylvanian
My wife once failed a cosmetics exam. She passed the make up test.
8:14 PM - 20 Sep 2012
Twitter
Quincy Inoma
@Qprice007
Taking All ur cosmetics to school for ur makeup test.
5:25 PM - 25 Nov 2012
Twitter
lüz
@obviouslyluz
“Oh a make up test imma fail I don’t know anything about cosmetics” LMAOOOO
5:14 PM - 8 Jan 2015
Teitter
Dave
@DearlClark
I knew a girl who went to beauty college and flunked cosmetics.....
They let her take a makeup test!
10:45 AM - 15 Dec 2015
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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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
This site is edited by Barry Popik.