The Joker, a legendary supervillain of the DC Universe, is known for many bad things, from spreading lethal laugh poison throughout Gotham and blowing up an entire hospital full of people.
In terms of appearance, it is almost impossible not to recognize the creepy facial makeup of a scary clown and the iconic Glasgow Smile.
When the body of the Black Dahlia was found lifeless on the side of a street in Los Angeles, she too had that creepy feature.
The Slit-Mouthed Woman, a malicious spirit of the Japanese folklore and urban legends, also has the same thing. It is not a smile at all but an ear-to-ear scar.
Known as the Glasgow Smile, the iconic grin comes from neither American nor Japanese horror tales.
Its proper place of origin is 20th century Scotland, where gangsters made their marks on enemies by cutting their mouths up to the ears.
Despite the name, the torture method was not merely contained in Glasgow. The street gangs of England adopted it, and so did criminals and cult groups in the United States.
10 /10 Razor Slice
The Scottish gangsters are the first to come up with savagery. Infamous in the country of origin, the Glasgow Smile made its way from the homeland to England thanks to soccer hoodlums, and later on all across Great Britain and elsewhere.
A gangster would often use a knife or razor to slice the victim’s face, specifically each corner of the lip, then up toward just beneath the ears. It is a form of warning not to mess with the gang members in any fashion.
9 /10 Cheek-Tearing Screams
Surprisingly enough, the method above is a somewhat “refined” method to give someone a Glasgow Smile. The classic version of it is much more sinister. Gangsters do not make any cut to the cheeks.
Instead, they make only small incisions in each corner of the victim’s mouth and then inflict brutal beating.
As the victim screams due to the pain, the cut wound becomes slowly longer and wider up to the ears. The cry for help and mercy naturally tears the injured flesh.