What is a chelsea smile?
A Glasgow smile (or Chelsea grin) is a nickname for the practice of cutting a victim’s face from the edges of the mouth to the ears: the cut, or its scars, form an “extension” of what looks like a smile. Sometimes to further hurt or even kill the victim, he or she would then be stabbed, most notably in the stomach, so that the the face would be ripped apart when the victim screams. The practice originated in the Scottish city of Glasgow, which gave it its name. It has also become popular in Chelsea, UK (where it is known as a “Chelsea grin”) and other areas of Britain, for gangs hoping to leave a message to rival gang members Chelsea smile – the scar you get when you have been cut ear to ear is known as a Chelsea smile. I think this term comes from the criminal underworld of the 60’s, a la Kray era.
