[Idiom] idiom meaning

[cumasiye]

you swing for the face

 

[Rover_KE]

We need context to understand what this is supposed to be about.

 

[2006]

you swing for the face

? swing for the fence

 

[vil]

Here are a few my speculations.
to swing round to confront somebody
to swing something up
to swing constantly from pessimism to optimism = swing the face (change the countenance, expression, air, mien)
face = physiognomy, countenance, cast of features, individuality …

Regards,

V.

 

[2006]

I assume it means that if you are going to hit someone with your fist you aim for the face of the person.

"swing" would be an odd verb for that. But I really don't know what that "idiom" is supposed to mean.

 

[vil]

To swing is to hit at something with a sweeping motion of the arm. Baseball players swing at the ball approaching them (a swing and a miss). If I swing at someone, I am attempting to hit them.

swing the face

She gave him a great swinging blow on the face.

Here is a new speculation:

swing = change, move, reversal, turnaround
swing the face = face-around = a military command to turn clockwise 180° = a total change of attitude or viewpoint

V.

 

[2006]

To swing is to hit at something with a sweeping motion of the arm. Baseball players swing at the ball approaching them (a swing and a miss). If I swing at someone, I am attempting to hit them.

I'm not at all surprised to see your rejoinder, because I understood what you were getting at. And I am familiar with a sentence like 'Go ahead; take a swing at me!'
But I have never heard "you swing for the face".
Maybe it's an 'idiom in evolution'. But as at least three native speakers are struggling to figure it out, it's not an established idiom. It's anybody's guess what it means.
Hopefully we will get some context, and maybe you will be proven correct. But if it really means what you think it does, it's in fact not an idiom.

 

[Tdol]

Without any context, I'd go for the 'take a punch' interpretation, but whatever it is, it's not an established idiom.

Swing can also mean be hanged (just to add to Vil's list)