The Glasgow Smile

The Black Dahlia, The Slit-Mouthed Woman, and The Joker all have one thing in common. Their iconic smile.

Their memorable grin dates back to the 1920’s in Glasgow, Scotland. This smile has been dubbed the “Glasgow Smile,” and leaves the victim looking as though they’re eternally happy.

The Glasgow smile was used as a torture method by street gangs as a warning not to mess with them. They would pull out their cut throat razors or knives and slice the victims cheeks, thus creating a smile that extended from the corners of the mouth, right up to the ear.

As a victim would scream out, it would further open their wounds, extending the smile further, and creating a more jagged appearance. The most sadistic enjoyed this method because, to them, it looked as though their victim were enjoying the pain being inflicted upon them.

The torture wasn’t contained in Glasgow, however. It quickly migrated to the English street gangs. Chelsea Headhunters, a London-based English football hooligan firm, became quite fond of the method, and there, members began to refer to it as the “Chelsea grin,” or “Chelsea smile.”

While some victims have bled to death, most survive with their everlasting scar.