# Why do women (in only certain cultures?) cover their mouths in extreme joy? Men/women in horror? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291 "2012-10-10T06:38:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/1 "2012-10-10T06:38:27Z")
See subject. I’ve just been watching YouTubes of surprise marriage proposals, surprise soldier homecomings, and 9/11 street scenes. Besides making myself weepy, I thought of this question. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/2 "2012-10-10T06:43:38Z")
A lot of people cover their open mouths in any circumstance. I’ve noticed some Japanese women cover their mouths any time they laugh. I assumed it was a cultural thing about the open expression of emotion. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/3 "2012-10-10T07:02:53Z")
I thought it was rude to show teeth/open mouths - like when yawning. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/4 "2012-10-10T07:10:07Z")
Bad (or nonexistent) dental work. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/5 "2012-10-10T13:50:09Z")
I have read that Japanese women cover their mouths when they laugh so you can’t see their teeth because teeth are _parts of your skeleton_ just hanging out of your head, and ever since I read that, true or not, when I think about it it kind of freaks me out. ---
**Author:** ![applebetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@applebetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/applebetty)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/6 "2012-10-10T22:36:22Z")
I read somewhere that Japanese women cover their mouth when laughing because teeth look like tombstones, and that is not appropriate to relate to death at a happy time. I have seen American girls and women do this, especially when giggling over something naughty. I do it sometimes, too, it seems to be a learned behavior as to hide your response. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/7 "2012-10-11T03:53:23Z")
I heard a lecture once by [Roger Fouts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Fouts) where he described how chimps can be deceptive, but not always sneaky. They set up a situation where some sort of treat was hidden in a box, only known by one chimp. Then the others in the group were let back in the area. While they were all milling around the box, the chimp in the know scampered off to a different area and started romping around making some noise. One by one the other chimps came over to see what’s what. Once they were all over there and preoccupied, the first chimp snuk back to the box and pulled out the treat. She was so excited, she squealed and whooped. Seemingly unable to not vocalize her excitement, all she could do was cover her mouth to mute the sound. Maybe it’s got something to do with that. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/8 "2012-10-11T13:00:33Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I have read that Japanese women cover their mouths when they laugh so you can’t see their teeth because teeth are _parts of your skeleton_ just hanging out of your head, and ever since I read that, true or not, when I think about it it kind of freaks me out. As Calvin said to Hobbes when one of his baby teeth came out: “I’m not entirely comfortable holding a piece of my own head.” I searched everywhere for the original strip and couldn’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/9 "2012-10-11T14:23:21Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > As Calvin said to Hobbes when one of his baby teeth came out: “I’m not entirely comfortable holding a piece of my own head.” > > I searched everywhere for the original strip and couldn’t find it. Will the great username/post coordinations ever stop? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-in-only-certain-cultures-cover-their-mouths-in-extreme-joy-men-women-in-horror/637291/10 "2012-10-11T17:53:04Z")
Yeah, wait until you see what it[really looks like.](http://io9.com/5910844/the-mouth-of-a-child-is-a-terrifying-thing-to-behold)