Origin Of The Term Poker Face

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Origin Of The Term Poker Face

The oldest known use of the expression poker face is in the 1870s, in a book explaining the game of poker. It wasn't long before the term poker face migrated into popular language and took on the meaning of an inscrutable expression on someone's face. The plural form of poker face is poker faces. Origin of Poker Face This expression dates back to the second half of the 1800s. It comes from the card game poker. In poker, all the players have a hand of cards. Poker Face (noun): an impassive expression that hides one's true feelings. Having a poker face is both a gift and a curse. While you can hide your thoughts and feelings from everyone else, a lot. Poker (n.2) card game for two or more played with a full pack, 1834, American English, of obscure origin, perhaps from the first element of German Pochspiel, name of a card game similar to poker, from pochen 'to brag as a bluff,' literally 'to knock, rap' (see poke (v.)). A popular alternative theory traces the word to French poque, also said to have been a card game resembling poker. Proverbs - a list of hundreds of the proverbs that give meaning to our language like no other form of expression.; American Expressions - Divided by a common language? Not when you understand the phrases that were born in the USA. Phrases coined by Shakespeare - The Bard of Avon, he gave us more words and expressions than anyone else.; Nautical phrases Ahoy there, me hearties, here's the.
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia. poker facen. A face lacking any interpretable expression, as that of an expert poker player.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
poker faceninformal a face without expression, as that of a poker player attempting to conceal the value of his cards
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pok′er face`

n. [1880–85, Amer.]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Noun1.poker face - a face without any interpretable expression (as that of a good poker player)poker game, poker - any of various card games in which players bet that they hold the highest-ranking hand
countenance, visage - the appearance conveyed by a person's face; 'a pleasant countenance'; 'a stern visage'
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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The oldest known use of the expression poker face is in the 1870s, in a book explaining the game of poker. It wasn't long before the term poker face migrated into popular language and took on the meaning of an inscrutable expression on someone's face. The plural form of poker face is poker faces. Origin of Poker Face This expression dates back to the second half of the 1800s. It comes from the card game poker. In poker, all the players have a hand of cards. Poker Face (noun): an impassive expression that hides one's true feelings. Having a poker face is both a gift and a curse. While you can hide your thoughts and feelings from everyone else, a lot. Poker (n.2) card game for two or more played with a full pack, 1834, American English, of obscure origin, perhaps from the first element of German Pochspiel, name of a card game similar to poker, from pochen 'to brag as a bluff,' literally 'to knock, rap' (see poke (v.)). A popular alternative theory traces the word to French poque, also said to have been a card game resembling poker. Proverbs - a list of hundreds of the proverbs that give meaning to our language like no other form of expression.; American Expressions - Divided by a common language? Not when you understand the phrases that were born in the USA. Phrases coined by Shakespeare - The Bard of Avon, he gave us more words and expressions than anyone else.; Nautical phrases Ahoy there, me hearties, here's the.
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia. poker facen. A face lacking any interpretable expression, as that of an expert poker player.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
poker faceninformal a face without expression, as that of a poker player attempting to conceal the value of his cards
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pok′er face`
n. [1880–85, Amer.]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Noun1.poker face - a face without any interpretable expression (as that of a good poker player)poker game, poker - any of various card games in which players bet that they hold the highest-ranking hand
countenance, visage - the appearance conveyed by a person's face; 'a pleasant countenance'; 'a stern visage'
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

 Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. 
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poker faceA blank, emotionless expression that gives no indication of one's thoughts or intentions. Poker players use such an expression so as not to give their opponents any clues about which cards they are holding. I kept looking over to see if she was impressed, but she wore a poker face throughout the performance.Now, make sure you keep your poker face on for these negotiations—we can't let them know where we stand.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
poker faceA visage lacking any expression that can be interpreted, as in Whenever Betty attended one of her children's performances, she managed to keep a poker face . This term alludes to the facial expression of a poker player who is expert at concealing his feelings about his hand. [c. 1880] 
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
poker face, aTotal lack of expression; deadpan. This term comes from gambling, where the astute player tries not to betray the quality of his or her hand by remaining expressionless. Originating in the late nineteenth century, the term was transferred to other areas in which individuals tried hard not to betray their thoughts. C. E. Mulford used it in his western novel, Rustler's Valley (1924): 'He glanced around the circle and found poker faces.'
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
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