Yep, there was a bit about this in Time a couple of weeks ago. Not comparing Brit and American smiles, but comparing fake and genuine smiles. Turns out it's all the eyes and not at all in the mouths.

People in Spokane are very smilie. It's unnerving to outsiders, but it's genuine. (Usually). Once a person gets acclimated, they realise this, but initially the typical transplant will be put off by it. I think we still think of ourselves as a small town, even though we are the second largest city in our state.

I have a rather lopsided smile. I used to dislike it due to my large top front teeth, which stick out just a bit. I like it now though - awkward years can make you self conscious about anything. Due to my overbite, my lower teeth are almost never in photos, unless I'm caught laughing, I guess.

At prom both my date and I ordered posed pics. So they took two. The photographer apparently chose odd moments to click the shutter button. In one of them my mouth was closed, nearly smiling. Not great. In the other, my lopsided smile was caught at an odd moment and I was snarling. One side was bared in what looked totally like a growl, it was crazy. My date had ended up with the closed mouth shots and did me a wonderful favor by trading with me. Even so, some of my friends demanded copies of the snarling pic instead. Another fantastic high school memory for me. :rolleyes:

It's hard not to provide only a Pan-Am smile when dealing with patrons and coworkers, but I think I do a good job of really smiling at people, at least when I'm not having a horrible day. I get some great reactions from people. The more glum they look, the more I smile at them.

That's not surprising. Crow's feet are a good indicator of people who have spent a lot of their days either happy or easily amused.

It's strange, but when I'm truly happy and either looking wide-eyed at something, or smiling/laughing, I almost have a happy, tingly sensation in my eyes. Like, my eyes are experiencing a feeling that's not unlike what my heart feels like when I feel a sudden rush of love.

Strange but true.