powder one's nose

English

Etymology

From the lavatory's use as a place to apply makeup.

Verb

powder one's nose (third-person singular simple present powders one's nose, present participle powdering one's nose, simple past and past participle powdered one's nose)

1. (euphemistic, typically of women) To visit a lavatory to use a toilet, reapply makeup, (when used of a group of women) engage in private conversation, etc.

   I'll be right back. I just have to powder my nose.

   C'mon girls; let's go powder our noses.

   • 1996, Deirdre Purcell, Roses After Rain, page 335:

     "...Where's the ladies' in this joint? I've to powder me nose."

2. (slang) To snort cocaine or other types of drugs via one's nose.

   The cokehead couldn't go more than a couple hours without powdering his nose.

   • 1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction, spoken by Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman):

     Well I'll tell you what, I'll go to the bathroom and powder my nose, while you sit here and think of something to say.

See also

• powder room
• take a powder

Further reading

• Jonathon Green (2024) “powder one's nose v.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang
• Eric Partridge (2005) “powder your nose”, in Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, editors, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, volumes 2 (J–Z), London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 1537.