A drawn facial expression to show that a character is nervous, embarrassed, scared, or happy by having their mouth form into a curved zig-zag/squiggly line.
When used to express negative emotions, a character’s mouth may curve into a squiggly frown. it’s often accompanied by an Overly Nervous Flop Sweat or a Sweat Drop; they might dart their eyes back and forth as their body trembles, while excessively biting their nails to signify them being nervous or afraid. Alternatively, it might be used to show a character feeling nauseous or sometimes sleepy. Often associated with characters who are nervous wrecks, shrinking violets, or butt-monkeys.
When used to express positive emotions, a character’s mouth may curve upwards to make a squiggly smiley face. Usually used to show a character holding in their laughter, or having a goofy grin. Might be accompanied by squinted eyes, their eyes turning into hearts, or little hearts floating around them to indicate them falling in love. Can be associated with plucky comic reliefs or giggly characters.
Other examples include eyes turning into spirals, becoming cross-eyed, or having their pupils spin in opposite directions to indicate them being dizzy, confused, or sometimes crazy. Might be accompanied by birds or stars circling around their heads, or scratching their head with their index finger. Can be associated with ditzy characters, clumsy characters, or cloudcuckoolanders.
Most commonly seen in Comic Strips, Western Animation, Anime, and Manga. Might overlap with Holding in Laughter. Compare Quivering Lip, when a character’s lips quiver into a moving squiggly line before crying. Also compare Playful Cat Smile, a mouth expression used for cuteness or playfulness.
Examples:
- In this Tootsie Roll Pop commercial
, the boy’s mouth turns into a squiggly line with an unamused expression on his face after the owl tricks him and eats his Tootsie Pop.
- My Hero Academia: Tsuyu Asui’s mouth often forms a curved zigzag line, usually with her tongue sticking out.
- Inside Out 2: Anxiety represents Riley’s, well, anxiety and she has a curved, squiggly mouth.
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: When Pooh gets stuck in the entrance to his burrow, Rabbit decides to make the best of it and decorate Pooh's rear end to look like a hunting trophy. As he draws a moose face on his butt, it tickles Pooh, and as he laughs, the mouth ends up with a zigzag on one side. Cut to Pooh, whose mouth is shaped the exact same way.
- Dork Diaries: In one book, Nikki has a squiggly smile with hearts floating around her when daydreaming about her crush Brandon.
- Characters’ mouths in PaRappa the Rapper and its spin-off Um Jammer Lammy make a squiggly line expression when nervous, embarrassed, or confused.
- The Amazing Digital Circus: Pomni, Ragatha, and Gangle’s mouths sometimes make a squiggly line expression when feeling nervous or scared.
- Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures: Keroppi the frog’s mouth sometimes forms a squiggly line when making a facial expression.
- Litterbox Comics:
- In “Moments”, Fran’s mouth forms a squiggly smile while reading her social media comments gushing over latest post of her then-newborn son Vincent. She makes a similar expression in “Food Art”, when she reads comments about how good of a mom she is for coming up with creative ways to get Vincent to eat healthy snacks whilst throwing said snack in the the trash.
- In “Next Einstein”, Fran has a squiggly smile with hearts surrounding her while gushing about what thoughts then-baby Vincent will have as he gets older. Next panel reveals present-day Vincent singing about poop, farts, and butts.
- In “Moments”,
- Martha’s mouth in the Kevin Temmer Tunes video “What’s The Matter, Martha?” turns into a squiggly line when surprised or startled.
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends : In “Frankie My Dear”, Mac, Bloo, and Chris have a squiggly smile as part of their lovesick expression when falling for Frankie.
- The Loud House: In “Garage Banned”, Lori’s mouth forms a curved zigzag line after getting startled by a squirrel getting smacked against a window.
- The Mr. Men Show: Mr. Nervous and Mr. Bump’s mouths often make in a squiggly frown whenever they feel nervous or embarrassed. Mr. Funny is a positive example, as his mouth forms a squiggly smile when being silly.
- Olive the Ostrich: Olive’s beak sometimes forms a squiggly line when startled.
- Characters’ mouths in Peppa Pig make a squiggly line when they’re feeling nervous or embarrassed.
- Morty gives one of these in an early Rick and Morty episode when his now-sentient and despotic dog Snuffles informs him that, because of his kind treatment of Snuffles when he was still an ordinary dog, Morty will be allowed to keep his testicles. The squiggly, nervous smile Morty makes at this conveys extreme discomfort, tinged with actual gratitude.
- South Park: In the pilot, Stan’s mouth slowly forms a squiggly ear-to-ear smile upon seeing Wendy, indicating his nervousness.
- Teen Titans Go!: In one episode, Beast Boy and Cyborg have a laughing contest. At one point, Beast Boy’s mouth turns into a squiggly line with his eyes popping out of his head whilst trying to hold in his laughter.
- T.U.F.F. Puppy: One episode has Kitty Katswell’s mouth form a squiggly line as her eyes spin in opposite directions with a spiral and stars moving in the background to indicate her dizziness.
- Wayside: In “Teacher Parent Conference”, Mrs. Jewels’ mouth turns into a squiggly line after reading Todd’s note to “see him after class” on her teacher report card since that means they would have to have a teacher-parent conference with her father.