Chelsea grin
noun · first attested 20th century
London's name for an injury that Glasgow is usually blamed for.
A scar running from the corner of the mouth toward the ear, made by cutting the face.
51.4875°N -0.1684°W · Q743535
Record
- Relationship
- Named from the place
- Confidence
- ProbableThe conventional story is likely, with caveats.
- Attested
- 20th century
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Chelsea
- In English
Chelsea grin
Dictionaries record Chelsea grin and Chelsea smile only as synonyms of Glasgow smile, the two cities standing in for the same practice at opposite ends of Britain. Chelsea is a district of west London, and the name is generally tied to English football hooligan gangs of the 1970s and 1980s. An American deathcore band took the phrase as its name in 2007, which is how most people now meet it.