What is a Handlebar Mustache?
There appears to be some confusion about what exactly a handle bar mustache is. Is it a mustache that is long on the sides that you wax into little curls or is it an up-side-down horseshoe (also known as a horseshoe mustache) that extends straight down from the end of the lips to the chin? I’ve heard people refer to both styles as being handlebars. If that’s the case, then “handlebar” isn’t too descriptive; it could be used to describe almost any type of mustache.
Voice your opinion in the comments.
The Moustache on the left is actually what I refer to as a Puppeteer. The particular twirl is commonly worn by puppet masters. A similar moustache was made famous by Salvador Dali, and in fact has been referred to as a handlebar. The difference between this Mo and Dali’s is that Dali waxed his to turn straight upward, where the Puppeteer–as shown on the left–points at the nose.
The Mo on the right is indeed the modern incarnation of the handlebar Mo. Often referred to as a Trucker Moustache due to its popularity with those captains of the asphalt.
Cheers,
ModeJames
James
22 Nov 09 at 1:00 pm
Any dictionary and common knowledge tells you a moustache is the hair growing on the upper lip. The word comes from the greek mystax which means “upper lip” That means hair growing from the chin or cheeks is not moustache hair and can’t be called a moustache. If the horseshoe “moustache” includes hair growing on skin below the corners of the mouth it is not a moustache but a goatee with a moustache. Therefore such a growth should be called a horseshoe goatee. A handlebar moustache refers only to hair growing from the upper lip, above the corners of the mouth and within the smile creases which has been allowed to be long enough to wax into points or curls. Thus the mo on the right is not a modern incarnation of the handlebar moustache but a misunderstanding of what a moustache is. But don’t tell that to a biker or trucker with one.
Randy
15 Oct 11 at 8:33 am