Subj : New Year's Day.
To   : Anton Shepelev
From : Ardith Hinton
Date : Tue Feb 09 2021 23:40:16

Hi, Anton!  Recently you wrote in a message to Mike Powell:

AS>  Not quite, on account of grin's negative connotations.
AS>  Consider, if you will, Son Houses's great song "Grinnin'
AS>  in your face".

MP>  Well, I did not say it meant "polite smile."  :)

AS>  I appeal to the dictionary:

AS>  grin:
AS>       [root]35. Cf. Groan.]


          Derived, according to one of the sources I consulted, from a Middle English word meaning "grimace".  Very interesting, either way....  :-)



AS>  1. To show the teeth, as a dog; to snarl.
AS>       [1913 Webster]


          With some animals it's a threatening gesture... but people may show their teeth for various reasons, as noted below.



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



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


          In general I would explain a "grin" as a "broad smile", therefore I find it interesting that the malevolent aspects are listed as #2 here.  AFAIK dictionaries tend to list definitions in order of the frequency of use... and the above "brightening of the face" is what comes to my mind first.



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



AS>  Now, didn't old Shakespear know how to use the word?


          Of course, but the primary meaning may have changed since his time. One of the difficulties with English usage is that it's a moving target.  :-Q



AS>  I myself wanted to defend my point by obseving that
AS>  a grin may be present in the rictus of a dead man,
AS>  whereas a smile does belong there.  It is the
AS>  collection of noir hard-boiled detectives I am
AS>  reading that must have prompted the morbid example.


          Perhaps.  Connotations may be general or personal, and they tend to vary from time to time & from place to place.  Recently Dallas & I borrowed a number of Hollywood movies in which a broad smile/grin tells us the actor has paid a lot of money to get his or her teeth capped, because the audience will see them when the character being portrayed is in love... or is having a good time... or is hoping friendliness & enthusiasm will attract potential buyers.

          WRT the dead man, I guess his facial expression might depend on how much time had elapsed before the body was discovered & on whether or not some cosmetic improvements were added by an embalmer prior to the funeral....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

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