h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A15920958

I just saw an actual number in Quirkology related to the beard discrimination section - that 50% of Brits polled associated beards with dishonesty and a lower state of hygiene.
A good, hard number that might look nice in a rather fluffly paragraph.

The entry is pending - a job for the Eds.

Hello, Leo:

I very much liked the entry on beards, but somehow missed it during its time in PR. I dropped a couple of lines to your SE, but Schreck was rightfully reluctant to act on them without your input (which I would expect all the good SEs to ask for before making too much content change )

Here is the note I sent. Do with the suggestions what you'd like. It's your entry.

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Hiya Shreck!

Hey, I was checking over entries about to go 'Edited' and ran across the one on beards. I really hate having missed this in PR; but, if these particulars were not mentioned in PR, perhaps you should ask the researcher about them before it 'goes to press'.

Initially, I wondered if this shouldn't be called something more like 'Growing Facial Hair' as it covers sideburns as well as beard hair, and with many beards there is no delineation.

[Moustache - These are the hairs that grow between his nose and his mouth.]
First: Not only men grow moustaches. Women sometimes have legitimate claims to the noun as well.
Second: 'between nose and mouth' is not entirely accurate because some grow outside the 'under nose' area with a nose-wide gap between halves: 'just above the upper lip' should probably be more accurate.

If it is going to tread into moustache area, it should perhaps be more inclusive. I did not notice any description resembling the Fu Manchu style, handlebar, pencil, or other styles of moustache.

Just hoping for a bit more completeness, but it always boils down to you working with the researcher.

Good Luck with this!

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And good luck to you!

I agree that the definition of moustache can be broadened,

but I mention in the intro paragraph that it's not going into the facial hair of women, so I think it's fair to ignore the fair sex for the rest of the entry.

The focus is beards. Moustaches and sideburns are only covered as they apply to beards. If I called it facial hair then I would definitely have to broaden it to include more info on types of moustaches and sideburns - that's why I left it at beards only. Dealing with beards was a hairy enough experience.

Hope that answers things.

Yes, Hairy enough!

What I was referencing was the line
[Male humans grow hair on their face.]
It sort of implies that only male humans grow said hair.

I also understand about covering just beards. Focus is very important in an entry, here and elsewhere. It's just hard to delineate where one stops and the other starts, especially as concerns the number of recognized 'styles' like goatee and the older split styles where the beard was divided into two or more parts (and sometimes braided).

Still, all my questions are answered if you're happy with it. Beauty is in the eyeof the researcher.

It looks as if you're happy with this now - if not, please give us a shout.

Here in the first paragraph:

>>Some female humans also grow hair on their faces, but prefer not to talk about it.<<
?


Two things before I declare myself happy :

1. Fords Towel's suggestion that the definition of moustache be changed to "the hairs just above the upper lip".


2. If you could insert the statistics from the British study showing that over 50% associate beards with dishonesty and poor hygiene just before

>>A United States survey found evidence that bearded politicians receive fewer votes than their clean-shaven opponents do.<<

That would leave me quite happy.


The blob looks splendid.

>>Some female humans also grow hair on their faces, but prefer not to talk about it.<<

PERFECT!!

Congratulations on finishin up a fine entry!!!

Kudos!