Subj : New Year's Day.
To   : Mike Powell
From : Anton Shepelev
Date : Sat Jan 30 2021 22:00:02

Mike Powell re: smile vs. grin:

AS>> Not   quite,  on  account  of  grin's  negative
AS>> connotations.   Consider,  if  you  will,   Son
AS>> Houses's great song "Grinnin' in your face".
MP> Well, I did not say it meant "polite smile."  :)

I appeal to the dictionary:

grin:
     [root]35. Cf. Groan.]
     1. To show the teeth, as a dog; to snarl.
        [1913 Webster]

     2. To set the teeth together and open the lips, or to open
        the mouth and withdraw the lips from the teeth, so as to
        show them, as in laughter, scorn, or pain.
        [1913 Webster]

              The pangs of death do make him grin.  --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

smile:
     1. The act of smiling; a peculiar change or brightening of
        the face, which expresses pleasure, moderate joy, mirth,
        approbation, or kindness; -- opposed to frown.
        [1913 Webster]

              Sweet intercourse
              Of looks and smiles: for smiles from reason flow.
                                                    --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]

     2. A somewhat similar expression of countenance, indicative
        of satisfaction combined with malevolent feelings, as
        contempt, scorn, etc; as, a scornful smile.
        [1913 Webster]

Now, didn't old Shakespear know how to use the word?
I myself wanted to defend my point by obseving  that
a  grin  may be present in the rictus of a dead man,
whereas  a  smile  does  belong  there.  It  is  the
collection  of  noir  hard-boiled  detectives  I  am
reading that must have prompted the morbid example.

MP> I ought to be able to find a copy.  I am curious
MP> to hear it.

Here you are -- a rare alternate take:

   https://freeshell.de/~antonius/file_host/SonHouse-GrinninInYourFace-alt.flac

Having  no  no loudspeaker connected to my PC, I ask
to let me if it happens to be the wrong file.

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 * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)

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