to curl the lip
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To express contempt or disgust with the mouth.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to curl the lip” mean?
To express contempt or disgust with the mouth.
Is “to curl the lip” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.