from L. cilia (eyebrow, eyelid) plural from L. cilium (eyebrow, eyelid)
E. supercilious = literally: of or pertaining to a raising of the eyebrow as an expression of haughtiness
Latin cilium (eyelid) became supercilium (eyebrow), which became superciliosus (with raised eyebrows, hence haughty, disdainful, contemptuous).
A highbrow is:a person of superior intellectual interests and tastes ... or...
a person with intellectual or cultural pretensions; intellectual snob
A lowbrow is:
A person who is uninterested, uninvolved, or uneducated in intellectual activities or pursuits
Highbrows look down on lowbrows, and lowbrows look down on highbrows. Highbrows, however, are better at displaying superciliousness during the looking-down process.
Copyright © 2007 - Jerry Schnell - All rights reserved
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