In 1966, Norbert ‘Nobby’ Stiles, won football’s World Cup with England. He danced with delight on the pitch – his socks rolled down, the Jules Rimet trophy held aloft in one hand and his false teeth in the other. The English loved him. And not only because he had teeth like many of them – perhaps a bit better than most of them. In this post of 29 snapshots of teeth from the collection of Robert E. Jackson, we see sets of gnashers, some of which could be called ‘English teeth’. Others are American teeth – you know, the big, ‘million dollar smile’ white ones. What all these photos are is fabulous.
And, as ever, let’s imagine the stories between the photos…
Everybody stops and stares at me
These two teeth are gone as you can see
I don’t know just who to blame for this catastrophe
But my one wish on Christmas Eve is as plain as can be
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth
My two front teeth– All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth by Donald Yetter Gardner
Do you think it’s funny to be so serious when I’m not even out of high school?’ she asked.
‘I don’t see how it could be any other way,’ said Lee. ‘Laughter comes later, like wisdom teeth, and laughter at yourself comes last of all in a mad race with death, and sometimes it isn’t in time.
— John Steinbeck, East of Eden
Kicked in the teeth again
Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win
Kicked in the teeth again
Ain’t this misery ever gonna end?
And I’ve been kicked in the teeth
Kicked in the teeth again– ACDC, Kicked In The Teeth
At last Simon gave up and looked back; saw the white teeth and dim eyes, the blood—and his gaze was held by that ancient, inescapable recognition.”
— William Golding, Lord of the Flies
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.
— C.S. Lewis (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
“A tooth is much more to be prized than a diamond.”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote
“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.”
— Dorothy Parker
And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.
— Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are
Baby take your teeth out
Try it one time
Baby take your teeth out
Try it one time
Leave ’em on the kitchen table– Baby, Take Your Teeth Out by Frank Zappa
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