# Body Parts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-parts/76211>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 14, 2001, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-parts/76211 "2001-08-14T16:52:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Thirsty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@Thirsty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirsty)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-parts/76211/1 "2001-08-14T16:52:29Z")

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The topic of the ‘snot trough’, the indented skin between the upper lip and nose, came up at work.

I would like to know the name of it and any other names of obscure body parts and their slang. The only one that I know of is ‘Taint’, perineum. Any clues?

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**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-parts/76211/2 "2001-08-14T17:01:09Z")

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The ‘snot trough’ on my person is known colloquially as a ‘moustache’.

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-parts/76211/3 "2001-08-14T17:04:42Z")

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I’ll never listen to Fats Waller’s _‘Taint Misbehavin’_ the same way again.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-parts/76211/4 "2001-08-14T17:06:23Z")

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[philtrum](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_078a.html)

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-parts/76211/5 "2001-08-14T17:13:49Z")

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Just wanted to make a little observation on human cognition: the figure/ground distinction. Sometimes it can go either way—which part is the figure and which the ground?

I too had always seen the “philtrum” as a trough. Until I heard George Carlin going on about things we don’t have words for, that need names. He cited “Those two little flesh lines under your nose…” He saw the philtrum edges as lines that were the main figure. I saw the space between as the figure.