THE LANGUAGE OF A CURLED LIP

Body language often communicates what words leave unsaid. A glance, a shrug, or a gesture can reveal our feelings more quickly and effectively than a carefully chosen sentence. One such gesture is to curl one's lip, that slight raising of the upper lip that conveys disgust, contempt, or disdain. Thus we read: "Sophie curled her lip in disgust" (Fern Michaels, Breaking News, 2012).

Spanish has its own equivalent expressions. We may torcer el morro, arrugar el morro, or retorcer el morro.  Manuel Seco's Diccionario fraseológico documentado del español actual defines torcer el morro rather economically as "poner mala cara." A vivid illustration appears in Gonzalo Torrente Ballester's Filomeno, a mi pesar: "Primero torció el morro, después se echó a reír."

The gesture itself is instantly recognizable. Whether we curl our lip in English or torcemos el morro in Spanish, we communicate disapproval before uttering a single word. Body language frequently crosses linguistic frontiers more easily than language itself.

If someone serves you a revolting fish dish, there may be no need for comment. A slight curl of the lip and a gentle push of the plate may speak volumes.