About face

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About face

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About face

Meaning

Change direction.

Origin

From the military command of the US Army - where it is still used. The earliest printed citation is from an item entitled Recollections of a Revolutionary Soldier, from the Maryland newspaper The Hagerstown Mail, January 1829:

"I turned to the right - about face, glided through the door and in less than a minute, was marching at a quick-step down the bypath, on my return to my quarters."