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About face

About face

Meaning

1. A military command to turn when on parade. 2. A change from one’s previous position.

Examples

1. Stand to attention! Present arms! About face! 2. Winston Churchill joined parliament as a Conservative and then did an about face and changed to the Liberals, before going about face again and re-joining the Conservatives.

Where did it originate?

1. USA. 2. British.

Where is it used?

Both meanings are widely used.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
About face

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