A gurn or chuck is a distorted

facial expression A facial expression is one or more motions or positions of the muscles beneath the skin of the face. According to one set of controversial theories, these movements convey the emotional state of an individual to observers. Facial expressions are a ...

and a verb to describe the action. A typical gurn involves projecting the

lower jaw In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

as far forward and up as possible and covering the upper lip with the lower lip. The

English Dialect Dictionary English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, compiled by

Joseph Wright Joseph Wright may refer to: *Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797), English painter *Joseph Wright (American painter) (1756–1793), American portraitist *Joseph Wright (fl. 1837/1845), whose company, Messrs. Joseph Wright and Sons, became the Metro ...

, defines the word gurn as "to snarl as a dog; to look savage; to distort the countenance," while the

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

suggests the derivation may originally be Scottish, related to "grin." In Northern Ireland, the verb "to gurn" means "to cry," and crying is often referred to as "gurnin'." Originally the Scottish dialectical usage refers to a person who is complaining. The term "gurn" may also refer to an involuntary facial muscular contortion experienced as a side-effect of

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly seen in Tablet (pharmacy), tablet form (ecstasy) and crystal form (molly or mandy), is a potent empathogen–entactogen with stimulant properties primarily used for Recreational dru ...

consumption.

Gurning contests

Gurning contests are a rural English tradition. They are held regularly in some villages, with contestants traditionally framing their faces through a

horse collar A horse collar is a part of a horse harness that is used to distribute the load around a horse's neck and shoulders when pulling a wagon or plough. The collar often supports and pads a pair of curved metal or wooden pieces, called hames, to wh ...

— known as "gurnin' through a braffin". The World Gurning Championship takes place annually at the Egremont Crab Fair. The fair dates back to 1267, when King Henry III granted it a Royal Charter. The origins of the gurning competition itself are unclear, and it may not be so old, although it was described as an ancient tradition by local newspaper ''The Cumberland Paquet'' in 1852. Those with the greatest gurn capabilities are often those with no teeth, as this provides greater room to move the jaw further up. In some cases, the elderly or otherwise toothless can be capable of gurns covering the entire nose. Peter Jackman became England's best-known gurner, winning the world championship four times, beginning in 1998 with a face called the "

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

". He made numerous TV appearances, including an appearance on ''

They Think It's All Over "They think it's all over" is a quote from Kenneth Wolstenholme's BBC TV commentary in the closing moments of the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, when England beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time to win the FIFA World Cup. In the final few second ...

''. He had his teeth removed in 2000 to make his features easier to manoeuvre. The only male gurner to win the world title 15 times is Tommy Mattinson (UK), who took the top prize at the World Gurning Championship in 1986–87 and then 10 times between 1999 and 2010. Anne Woods won the women's world title 28 times.

References

External links

BBC: In Pictures – World Gurning Championship

Guinness World Records
{{Authority control Culture in Cumbria Facial expressions

Gurning contests

See also

References

External links