First of all, is it spelled “moustache” or “mustache”?  The patch of fur hovering over a man’s mouth is often a topic of hot debate.  Moustache is the correct spelling, and is usually caught by your much relied on spell checker.  Mustache seems to be an the American version of word, while moustache is preferred by England and some other major English speaking countries. The word “mustachio” has it’s origins in Spain and Italy.  In these cultures, the word is usually used to denote the elegance of upper lip hair.

If you take the time to do a little reading on the subject, you will find that the American spelling of ‘mustache’ seems to be gaining in popularity.  Regardless of your preference,  both the spellings are correct and can be used without fear of the spelling police kicking down your door and arresting you.  One thing that can’t be denied is the pride of those sporting them and the secret envy of the men around them.   It is thought that as America was discovered later to Britain and took some time to establish itself as a literary power, most of the world had moved on with the British version of spellings.  Where words had an –ou attachment instead of just –o like in British English, one would spell colour, humour, flavour while in the American English they would be spelled as color, humor, flavor.  With the advent of computers, it became mandatory that the American style be acknowledged.

The “moustache” or “mustache” enjoyed a surge in popularity in decades past but seems to have lost some steam over the last two decades.  Women tend to have polarized opinions about them.  They either love them or hate them and often play a key part in whether a man grows this facial hair style or not.  Ideally the image that moustached men portray is one of masculinity.  They are seen as men who are capable of shouldering responsibility and demanding respect.  Ultimately the words of these men are heeded and they love the power that they command over others. These types of men are generally taken seriously and don’t stand for any nonsense.

Of course on a rare occasion it can mean that the mustached man might live in a van down by the river and don’t have regular access to a razor or washroom facilities…