Chap. X. SNEERING AND DEFIANCE. 2±9 



being still retained on the brow." Sir C. Bell states 15 

 that the actor Cooke conld express the most determined 

 hate " when with the oblique cast of his eyes he drew up 

 the outer part of the upper lip, and discovered a sharp 

 angular tooth." 



The uncovering of the canine tooth is the result of a 

 double movement. The angle or corner of the mouth 

 is drawn a little backwards, and at the same time a mus- 

 cle which runs parallel to and near the nose draws up 

 the outer part of the upper lip, and exposes the canine 

 on this side of the face. The contraction of this mus- 

 cle makes a distinct furrow on the cheek, and produces 

 strong wrinkles under the eye, especially at its inner 

 corner. The action is the same as that of a snarling dog; 

 and a dog when pretending to fight often draws up the 

 lip on one side alone, namely that facing his antagonist. 

 Our word sneer is in fact the same as snarl, which was 

 originally snar, the I " being merely an element imply- 

 ing continuance of action." 16 



I suspect that we see a trace of this same expression 

 in what is called a derisive or sardonic smile. The lips 

 are then kept joined or almost joined, but one corner 

 of the mouth is retracted on the side towards the de- 

 rided person; and this drawing back of the corner is 

 part of a true sneer. Although some persons smile 

 more on one side of their face than on the other, it is 

 not easy to understand why in cases of derision the 

 smile, if a real one, should so commonly be confined to 

 one side. I have also on these occasions noticed a slight 

 twitching of the muscle which draws up the outer part 



15 ' Anatomy of Expression,' p. 136. Sir C. Bell calls (p. 

 131) the muscles which uncover the canines the snarling 

 m useless. 



18 Hensleig*h Wedg-wood, ' Dictionary of English Ety- 

 mology,' 1865, vol. iii. pp. 240, 243. 



17 



