# what are you smiling about-? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260 "2015-07-26T20:55:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tooldtocare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@tooldtocare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tooldtocare)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/1 "2015-07-26T20:55:18Z")
A smile is a smile When a wolf shows his teeth,.,./,./.,., .,.,.,…,.He means business When we humans show our teeth it’s called a smile Is the difference an evolutionary thing and once upon a time we smiled for the same reason wolves smile today-? is a smile universal-? Just asking (:- Dada smile: [http://tinyurl.com/kpsv7cj](http://tinyurl.com/kpsv7cj) Now this IS a smile– [http://tinyurl.com/p2pzhs3](http://tinyurl.com/p2pzhs3) What are you smiling about-? ---
**Author:** ![climbuponahilltop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c0e974/32.png) [@climbuponahilltop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/climbuponahilltop)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/2 "2015-07-26T21:29:01Z")
Well, we are not wolves; we’re primates. And as Dwight said on the Office, “Showing one’s teeth is a submission signal in primates. When someone smiles at me, all I see is a chimpanzee begging for its life.” Wait. What was the question again? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/3 "2015-07-26T21:32:55Z")
Again, not a General Question. Moved to MPSIMS. **samclem** , moderator. ---
**Author:** ![tooldtocare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@tooldtocare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tooldtocare)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/4 "2015-10-23T20:26:43Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Again, not a General Question. Moved to MPSIMS. > > **samclem** , moderator. Please tell me what “MPSIMS” IS-? ---
**Author:** ![tooldtocare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@tooldtocare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tooldtocare)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/5 "2015-10-23T20:29:34Z")
I found it ---
**Author:** ![tooldtocare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@tooldtocare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tooldtocare)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/6 "2015-10-23T20:37:00Z")
Discussing whether humans are primates or not is not the point of this thread… The point I was trying to make (and failed) is that smiling is unique to humans. ---
**Author:** ![heartsplayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@heartsplayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heartsplayer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/7 "2016-06-13T21:59:18Z")
> [@tooldtocare](#): > > Discussing whether humans are primates or not is not the point of this thread… The point I was trying to make (and failed) is **that smiling is unique to humans**. I often thought that my pet cat smiled a lot at me though (certainly from what I have managed to interpret). Though I may not be a good interpreter, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2016, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-smiling-about/726260/8 "2016-06-14T07:05:00Z")
I spend most of my time smirking, rather than smiling as such. I’m just enormously smug. I expect that smarmy self-satisfaction is unique to humans. Possibly shared by horses.