HONEST AS THE SKIN ON HIS BROW (or BETWEEN HIS BROWS), adj. phr. (old).—As honest (i.e., chaste: see HONEST) or otherwise (in sarcasm) as may be: the allusion is to the presence (or absence) of the horns of cuckoldry.

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  1551.  STILL, Gammer Gurton’s Needle, v. 2 [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), ii., 67]. I am AS TRUE, I wold thou knew, AS SKIN BETWENE THY BROWES.

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  1599.  JONSON, Every Man out of his Humour, ii. 2. Punt. Is he magnanimous? Gent. AS THE SKIN BETWEEN YOUR BROWS, sir.

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  1600.  SHAKESPEARE, Much Ado about Nothing, iii. 5. An old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt, as, God help, I would desire they were, but in faith HONEST, AS THE SKIN BETWEEN HIS BROWS.

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  1611.  JONSON, Bartholomew Fair, iv., 5. It shall be justified to thy husband’s faish, now: tou shalt be AS HONESHT AS THE SKIN BETWEEN HIS HORNSH, la.

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  1647.  CARTWRIGHT, The Ordinary [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), x., 308].

          Credulous.  I am as honest as the skin that is
Between thy brows.
  Constable.  What skin between my brows?
What skin, thou knave? I am a Christian;
And what is more, a constable! What skin?

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