Resting Bitch Face

I think there is a make equivalent but not the phrase for it. My DH lost all his hair through alopecia and he is quite big. Peoples attitudes changed towards him.so even I noticed. Stares, comments, shoulder barging him in tube stations...because they seed to think he was 'hard'. He is the oppisite!

I have RBF and I'm proud of it, I can be very smiley and happy but sometimes I relax my face and need to release the feelings facially

There was an interesting programme on I think bbc2 last night talking about faces and they covered how much of a person's personality you can tell from their face. I can't find a link to it just now and only caught the end of it but putting aside the massive over simplification some of it made sense. Grace Dent was funny on the subject, and has an excellent RBF.

But 'thug' is a stereotype. So I'd associate perhaps some of: a shaved head, tattoos, larger muscles on show, strutting around, aggressiveness; shouting or swearing. So thinking about it some more it's probably their actions which define them as thug. I can think of some men with shaved heads and tattoos who would definitely not fit that class.

There aren't many men I'd class as a thug.

It started out as a satire on the idea that all women are meant to be cheerful and that women can and will be criticised for absolutely anything. Within about three days it had become 'a thing'....

I'll see if I can find a link.

I'm trying to think of what other threatening characteristics you'd associate with "thug" (without resorting to stereotyping).

(I'm one of those sad buggers who's proud of RBF 'cause I'm antisocial at best and outright hostile on a bad day )

Possibly. But I don't see many women looking like a thug (or what I think of as a thug). I agree though thug is primarily used to describe men but normally with more threatening characteristics than a face that looks like you are pissed off.

I think the male equivalent is "thug".

What scallops said. In bucketfuls.

Women don't have to be approachable at all times. In fact are taught from when they're tiny that being approachable is a bad thing while also being told to be constantly pleasing.

And I've never once heard it being used about men. I'd be absolutely astounded if I did.

I've never heard it reference to men. Bitch isn't generally used in reference to men at all.

It's a shit phrase.

Scared to approach you Toomuchbooty? Shows how much we are conditioned to expect women to be always 'pleasant'.

Have a look round today at how many men have that type of face at rest. There are quite a few and they wouldn't be classed as unapproachable or have a special phrase for them.

Ha Pont quite possibly

Remonstrated. Not sure what autocorrect was trying to do with my typing...

Oh god izzy are you my SIL?
Nice juxtaposition though!

Men are supposed to be grave and severe. Women are supposed to be smiley and and amenable. It's not rocket science. Women who don't conform to that rule are emonrated with. Cheer up love it might never happen. Give us a smile.
I have resting bitch face. I'm not going to gussy up and fawn for anyone.
A family friend used to call me po faced lemon sucker.

My sil who is lovely has resting bitch face most of the time. She knows this and i think in some way she is quite proud .

It is not a lack of smile that causes this look its the air of i will reduce you to rubble with one look kind of thing.

I always have mine on when travelling on PT through London. So far it's worked a treat

I often refer to myself as having resting bitch face, I've always taken it to mean 'you look really mardy and unapproachable, but that's just the way your face looks at rest!' Countless people have told me they were scared before they knew me or I looked like I wanted to punch them etc when in reality I never have or would ever want to punch anyone in my life!

there doesn't seem to be a catchy enough name for it with a male orientated word, so I imagine it can be used interchangeably, also I would say that while typically a resting bitch face on a female would be viewed as a negative, it probably is read on a man as being aloof and brooding!

I've never heard it