Clocking

Posted by David FG on September 21, 2008 at 16:38

In Reply to: Clocking posted by Victoria S Dennis on September 20, 2008 at 14:16:

: : Origins of "to clock someone"?

: Clocks have faces, so "clock" became slang for "face". Thus, to "clock" someone is to hit him in the "clock". (VSD)

And from the same root, I think, comes the slightly different meaning of to recognise, or pick out, someone.

DFG