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"How can somebody be removed from a job because of the size of his moustache?"

By Ann Althouse

Asks the Supreme Court of India.

Victor Joynath De was grounded by Indian - formerly called Indian Airlines- in 2001 for refusing to shave off his handlebar moustache....

A moustache, if worn, should not extend beyond the upper lip, says the rule book...

The spokesman said that some passengers could be unnerved by such a striking facial feature.

Unnerved. I love that.

But really, doesn't there need to be some limit on moustachery when you're serving the general public?

That's not Mr. De. That's just the most extreme example of a moustache ? or "mustache" ? I was able to find on the internet in less than one minute. I'm just trying to prove my point that it would be not just unnerving but revolting to have a man with too much moustache serving you food.

"Mustache" is an amusing word. What is its etymology?

1585, from Fr. moustache, from It. mostaccio, from Medieval Gk. moustakion, dim. of Doric mystax (gen. mystakos) "upper lip, mustache," related to mastax "jaws, mouth," lit. "that with which one chews," from PIE base *mnto- "mouth" (see mouth). Borrowed earlier (1551) as mostacchi, from the It. word or its Sp. derivative mostacho. The plural form of this, mustachios, lingers in English. Dutch slang has a useful noun, de befborstel, to refer to the mustache specifically as a tool for stimulating the clitoris; probably from beffen "to stimulate the clitoris with the tongue."

Oh, come on now! That last sentence was uncalled for. I'm unnerved.

Full post as published by Althouse on February 12, 2008 (boomark / email).