baby face vs old face

[keannu]

You call a person who looks much younger than his or her age "baby face".
Then, what do you call a person who looks much older than his or her age? "He has got an old face"?

 

[probus]

There is no current idiom corresponding to "old face." And "baby face" sounds extremely dated. To me it belongs to the 1930s or 40s.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Referring to someone as old is hardly ever a compliment. You will hear euphemisms for that: "He has a face that shows character", "You have a face that bespeaks experience and wisdom", etc.

 

[Barb_D]

Rode hard and put away wet.

Hardly complimentary.

 

[emsr2d2]

Referring to someone as old is hardly ever a compliment. You will hear euphemisms for that: "He has a face that shows character", "You have a face that bespeaks experience and wisdom", etc.

Learners, please note that if you use "bespeaks" in normal everyday English, you'll get some rather strange looks!

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Learners, please note that if you use "bespeaks" in normal everyday English, you'll get some rather strange looks!

Thank you, ems.



I didn’t get it. Will you please clear it up, please?

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[5jj]

I didn’t get it. Will you please clear it up, please?

Most native speakers do not use the word today. Many would not even understand it.

 

[SoothingDave]

Rode hard and put away wet.

Hardly complimentary.

I was going to suggest that phrase.

I was also going to note that, when you see someone who looks prematurely old, especially on the TV news, the phrase that comes to mind is "meth head."