What Is Rictus Grin?

A rictus is a frozen, fake smile. If the star of a play finds herself overcome by stage fright, she might forget her lines and stand, trembling, her mouth twisted into a rictus. The word rictus most often describes a smile that doesn't convey delight or happiness — instead, it's a kind of horrified, involuntary grin.

What does a sardonic grin look like?

The phrase "sardonic grin," commonly used to describe a bitter or scornful smile, has its roots in a highly poisonous plant indigenous to the Mediterranean island Sardinia, according to new research. ... "Indeed, the plant produces a state similar to drunkenness as well as locked jaws.

What does the name rictus mean?

In Latin, rictus means "an open mouth"; it comes from the verb ringi, meaning "to open the mouth." Zoologists couldn't keep the word to themselves, though. ... James Joyce used the word in both Ulysses (1922) and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), writing in the latter, "Creatures were in the field….