The "duck lips" pose, particularly popular with teenage and 20-something women, became a fad in the early-mid 00's. An attempt to appear sexy, many people believe this pose originated with the growth of online social media and its ability to spread a trend worldwide quickly and effortlessly. However, the utilisation of the pucker-faced pose actually stems from the malaria epidemic that plagued New York City in the early 1920's.

In 1922, the city experienced the hottest summer on record for 74 years. The hot, humid weather around the Hudson riverbank led to an overabundance of mosquitoes carrying the deadly virus. New York's susceptibility to the plague ran high among all age groups and classes... except for those who were drinking alcohol. Those who were illegally imbibing the harsh liquor brewed "underground" during the era of Prohibition displayed a remarkable, unexplained immunity to the disease.

As the City's population noticed that those coming and going from speakeasies seemed immune to the rapidly-spreading malaria virus, more and more residents took to drinking the bathtub gin that seemed to be protecting their boozy brethren.

To those unaccustomed to the harsh flavours of illegally brewed alcohol, drinking one's daily gin or whiskey was tantamount to taking a bitter medicine. In order to ease the process, some began adding juice or tonic to their alcohol (incidentally, the origin of "mixed drinks") and chose to drink it down using a straw. Not only did this make the imbibing process more pleasant, but it also gave birth to the concept that pursed, "kissy-face" lips (such as those one makes whilst pulling on a drinking straw) were synonymous with health and vitality. Further, as malaria tended to cause weight loss, uncontrollable sweats and flushing in its victims, those who maintained their good looks via drinking alcohol were often seen... pursing their lips while enjoying their daily cocktail!

This association of "duck lips" with health and beauty (and, indeed, survival) reflects the Darwinian ideas of "survival of the fittest" - as malaria weeded out the weak/ill and "inferior", those who survived the plague were viewed as being not only healthier but also more attractive than their sweaty, shivering, skinny and eventually deceased counterparts.

From this time onward, pursed lips have been a symbol of beauty, from sixties sex symbol Mick Jagger to naughties superstar Angelina Jolie. As social media networks have increased in popularity and functionality, it has become commonplace to see countless photos of young women and, increasingly, men, pouting and pursing their ways through drunken evenings out "on the pull". Few of them realise that their pursed lips are not only promising sexy, rollicking good times - but also, unconsciously, the promise that they will not abandon their potential partners by dying of malaria.

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