long face
long face (idiomatic noun phrase)
/ lɔːŋ feɪs /
Synopsis
The idiom “long face” means to look sad, disappointed, or unhappy, as one’s facial muscles droop and make the face appear elongated. Example: “She came home with a long face after the exam.” The expression originated in England in the mid-18th century from the natural look of sorrowful faces—when the mouth turns down and the features slacken, giving the appearance of length.
Meanings
- To look sad, disappointed, or unhappy. (figurative)
- To appear gloomy, depressed, or downhearted.
- To look serious or grave in manner.
- A face that is physically long in shape. (literal)
Synonyms: sad; gloomy; downcast; glum; doleful; disconsolate; solemn.
Example Sentences
- Everyone could tell she had a long face after hearing the bad news.
- He sat by the window with a long face, thinking about his lost opportunity.
- The teacher wore a long face during the meeting, showing her disappointment.
- The portrait shows a man with a long face and deep-set eyes. (literal)
Origin and History
Physiological Origin
The phrase “long face” most likely arose from the natural changes that occur in a sorrowful expression. When a person feels sad, the mouth turns downward and the facial muscles relax, making the face appear lengthened. An 18th-century lecture on human physiognomy explained this phenomenon directly, noting that such muscle movements “give occasion for the phrase commonly used, of putting on a long face, upon being sorrowful.” This shows that by the 1740s, the idiom was already established in spoken English.
Earliest Recorded Use
The earliest known printed appearance of “long face” in its figurative sense is found in James Parsons’s lecture Human Physiognomy explain’d in the Crounian Lectures on Muscular Motion for the year 1746, delivered in London on 27 November 1746. Parsons’ words indicate that the phrase was not newly coined but already familiar to English speakers. It reads:
“This gives occasion for the phrase commonly used, of putting on a long face, upon being sorrowful; and the relaxation mentioned causes the forlorn look.”
Literary Adoption
Soon after its appearance in academic writing, “long face” began to appear in English literature. In Samuel Richardson’s 1740s novel Clarissa Harlowe, a character is described as having “a plaguy long face,” a clear reference to sadness or distress. This literary use demonstrates that the idiom had entered general language and was easily understood by contemporary readers.
Development and Meaning
The idiom developed through a natural blend of observation and metaphor. The physical resemblance between a sad expression and a lengthened face led speakers to use “long face” figuratively for visible unhappiness. The shift from literal to figurative occurred gradually, solidified by mid-18th-century English usage, and has remained consistent in meaning ever since.
Country of Origin
All early records—both medical and literary—were published in England, confirming that the idiomatic form of “long face” originated in English speech and writing during the mid-18th century.
Variants
- have a long face
- pull a long face
- wear a long face
- why the long face?
- long-faced
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