five and nine

English

Etymology

From the product numbering used by the Leichner cosmetics company.

Noun

five and nine (uncountable)

1. (theater, informal) Basic facial greasepaint makeup.
   • 1995, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Marking Time, page 263:

     Not much "beautiful dignity" about her now! she thought, looking at her smudged eyes and the tracks her tears had made in carefully applied five and nine. Her black tin box of makeup — her most treasured possession — sat before her, […]

   • 2014, Evadne Hinge, The Naked Doctor, page 69:

     […] before many years had passed I would be plastered in the greasy 'five and nine' cosmetics beloved of the theatrical profession.

   • 2016, James Hayes, Shouting in the Evenings, page 80:

     The sticks of Leichner were notoriously hard and difficult to spread. […] In theatre dressing rooms the hot bulbs surrounding the actors' mirrors were often streaked with five and nine, which helped to soften the stuff.