I need a verb for ‘making funny faces.’ The word I am trying to remember applies to an annual British contest (most certainly held at a pub).
I think it begins with a ‘G.’
Of course any other verbs along these lines (screwing up one’s face et. al.) are welcome.
Gurning.
Gurning. We have a winner.
Jjim, please stay on the line so we can send you our gift package.
(How the heck did you know that?)
I’m originally from England, and the annual gurning championships are often shown as an “and finally” news item.
The contestants have to wear a horse collar while they do it, and it helps if they have no teeth. Gurners galore.
The World Gurning Championships take place in September, not in a pub, but at the Egremont Crab Fair, in Cumbria. That’s crab as in crab apple, not crustacean, by the way.
This year’s results:
Obviously “Adrian” was too ashamed to give his surname…
Oh dear Lord, this picture is positively terrifying.
I love the idea of gurning; have always wanted to check out a contest. (I only found out about a few years ago when a friend from a chat room told me about it.)
Strange… Gurning is not in my American Heritage Dictionary. Is it strictly a British word?
My dictionary gives it as an alternative spelling of girn (although, oddly, I have only ever seen the “gurn” spelling used).
It says it is “Scottish and northern English dialect”, so I believe it is confined to Britain. Definition: 1) To snarl. 2) To grimace or pull grotesque faces. 3) To complain fretfully or peevishly.
It apparently dates from the 14th century and is itself a variant from of “grin”.
