Glasgow smile
Scar caused by using a knife to cut near the mouth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Glasgow smile (also known as a Chelsea grin/smile, or a Glasgow, Smiley, Huyton, A buck 50, forced smile or Cheshire grin) is a wound caused by making a cut from the corners of a victim's mouth up to the ears, leaving a scar in the shape of a smile.[2][3]
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The act is usually performed with a utility knife or a piece of broken glass, leaving a scar which causes the victim to appear to be smiling broadly.[4] The practice is said to have originated in Glasgow, Scotland, in the 1920s and 30s.[5]
Notable victims
- Agustín Lara (1897–1970), Mexican composer[6]
- William Joyce (1906–1946), American-born fascist and Nazi propaganda broadcaster during World War II[7]
- Elizabeth Short (1924–1947), also known as Black Dahlia, an American woman found murdered in Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California[8]
- Lee Seung-bok (1959–1968), a nine-year-old South Korean boy murdered by North Korean commandos
- Tommy Flanagan (born 1965), a Scottish actor who was attacked with a knife[1]
In popular culture
In modern fiction, the Glasgow smile has become a characteristic and physical feature of some incarnations of the Batman villain Joker, most famously in Heath Ledger's interpretation;[9] the yakuza boss Masao Kakihara, from the manga Ichi the Killer; and the creepypasta character Jeff the Killer.
In music, it is the name of the band Chelsea Grin. Additionally, there is a Bring Me the Horizon song by the title of "Chelsea Smile".
In sports, it is used as an offensive attack in professional wrestling, when a wrestler uses an object, usually a small PVC pipe or cylindrical object, places it horizontally into their opponent's mouth, and pulls backward. The move was popularised by people such as Adam Copeland and Finn Balor.
See also
- Colombian necktie
- Dueling scar
- Glasgow razor gangs
- Glasgow's miles better – 1980s advertising campaign
- Headbutt, known as a "Glasgow kiss" or "Glaswegian kiss"
- Joker (The Dark Knight)
- Ichi the Killer
- Kuchisake-onna ("Slit-Mouthed Woman")
- Slashing (crime)
