What's the flat side of a claw hammer called?

[chris French]

Yup, 'face' sounds sensible.

[Andy Dingley]

Webster can f*ck right off and stop pretending to be a dictionary of any sort of authority.

[Roger]

The message from Mike Barnes contains these words:

My Shorter Oxford dates from 1986 and has, to say the least, a rather skimpy entry for 'peen'.

"Peen (p?n). dial., techn., and U. S. 1683. [xv11 pen; app. rel. to PANE sb.2] The sharp or thin end of a hammer-head, opposite to the face = Pane sb.2"

"Pane sb2 - ... The pointed or edged end of a hammer: = north. dial. peen."

I found the attribution to the U. S. rather curious given the date and am not at all surprised that it has disappeared from the current edition.

[Skipweasel]

No, I'm quite plain.

[John Rumm]

LOL!

[The Medway Handyman]

Its the handle - it makes your bum look big..............

[unopened]

Presumably, that's where shot-peening comes from. Using lots of high speed impacts of balls rather then laboriously getting the same effect with a hammer.

Sid

[Skipweasel]

"Does this look big in my bum?"