Question

[Fyona]

Hi every body!

I've got a question concerning a phrase I often come across in English literature.

"Her upper lip was short, her mouth full and lovely".

Now what on earth does than mean - how does such a mouth look like?
When an upper lip is short it isn't full or can it be both short and full?
And when not both lips are full how can the mouth be full?

Any enlightening ideas?
Maybe from a native speaker?

[Inaktiver User]

I am sorry, I don't have an idea.

But the problem is very interesting.

[Inaktiver User]

I'm not a native speaker, but I think a short upper lip refers to a short distance between mouth and nose.

[kaffeesahne]

I see a smiling mouth when i read the question!

The Corner of the mouth seems to turn up!

[Inaktiver User]

I should have read my answer before posting it....
A short distance between mouth and nose, of course.

[Fyona]

I should have read my answer before posting it....
A short distance between mouth and nose, of course.

Okay, but such a short distance doesn't automatically mean that the mouth is full and lovely.
I associate a full an lovely mouth with both lips full and luscious, not one of them short !

I mention this, because I've really read this phrase many times!

[Linda-Linda]

I see a smiling mouth when i read the question!

The Corner of the mouth seems to turn up!

Ich stelle mir da so einen Brigitte Bardot Mund vor, denn the upper lip is the part of the face between mouth and nose.

[Fyona]

Ich stelle mir da so einen Brigitte Bardot Mund vor, denn the upper lip is the part of the face between mouth and nose.

Both upper and bottom lips are always part of the face, what else?
But of course B.B. has such a full and lovely moth, she is famous for this feature.
Her upper lip, however, is definitely not short.

[Blila1]

Erst mal muss ich mir ein Brot machen.
so, das ist nicht allerneueste Bahnhofsliteratur, I guess? Möglicherweise eine Art Face Model der Zeit (schlag nach bei Constable&so), so wie andererzeiten Stupsnäschen oder die hochgezogene Pferdegebissoberlippe der Z-Jahre

[Inaktiver User]

Maybe the Problem lies within the difference between "upper lip" and "Oberlippe"? You would paint your Oberlippe with lipstick, but "upper lip" is the place of the philtrum - and the Oberlippenbart.