# permanent shave

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/permanent-shave
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A throat-slitting.

## Examples

- The criminal threatened the guard with a permanent shave.
- In the dark alley, the thief warned his victim that he would receive a permanent shave if he did not hand over his wallet.
- The gritty crime novel described how the ruthless assassin ended his target's life with a swift and brutal permanent shave.

## Origin

Attested from the early 1900s, the term is recorded as a pun on the permanent wave, a method of setting hair into curls or waves. The phrase occurred as a euphemism for death by execution or murder, the permanency of the procedure being its primary feature.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.