# Moustache question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 11, 2000, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189 "2000-05-11T01:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Breckinshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@Breckinshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breckinshire)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/1 "2000-05-11T01:13:50Z")
What’s the name of that moustache that Hitler, Groucho, and Charlie Chaplin had? I know it has a specific name. Rather estoteric question, I know, but it’s for a good cause. ---
**Author:** ![Kragen\_Sitaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/858c86/32.png) [@Kragen\_Sitaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kragen_Sitaker)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/2 "2000-05-11T01:16:26Z")
“Toothbrush”? Or are you thinking of a different specific name? It seems to have gone out of style since Hitler. Funny, that. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/3 "2000-05-11T01:51:37Z")
We always called it a “Hitler moustache”, but I expect that’s not the official name. My _Roget’s Super Thesaurus_ has an entry for **mustache** which includes: “rectangular with squared ends: boxcar, toothbrush, Charlie Chaplin, Hitler” So, I would guess that either _boxcar_ pr _toothbrush_ would be acceptable, if you didn’t want to associate it with a person. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2000, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/4 "2000-05-11T03:31:20Z")
The toothbrush moustache is also known as the square button. See [facial hair](http://209.42.211.130/armageddon/hair.html). I do not remember Groucho wearing one, though. ---
**Author:** ![KenP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@KenP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenP)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/5 "2000-05-11T04:42:14Z")
The style worn by Hitler and Chaplin is called a “Swiss mustache.” Groucho’s mustache (which was actually greasepaint at the peak of his career) was not a Swiss mustache. ---
**Author:** ![writefetus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9de053/32.png) [@writefetus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/writefetus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2000, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/6 "2000-05-11T12:28:30Z")
The type of 'stache worn by Chaplin and Shicklgruber are called " bottlebrush mustache" and really bear very little resemblence to what Groucho drew on his face,IMHO. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/7 "2000-05-11T16:55:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*The style worn by Hitler and Chaplin is called a “Swiss mustache.” \*\* Now I remember who else wore one. It was driving me crazy trying to think of who it could be. It was British physicist Paul Dirac, whose father was Swiss. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2000, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/8 "2000-05-13T01:49:11Z")
Not to mention Charlie Chaplin. I always thought they were called “toothbrush” mustaches, not “bottlebrush”, which would be longer and bushier, not unlike a frightened cat’s tail. As was mentioned, Groucho’s mustache was called “greasepaint” for most of his career, until the popularity of his quiz show took off and it was deemed undignified for a quizmaster of his years to wear a painted-on mustache. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moustache-question/19189/9 "2000-05-13T01:50:28Z")
That should read “Not to mention Oliver Hardy.” Oops. My bad.