<p>Why is Blackbeard called Blackbeard when he only has perma-stubble? Whitebeard´s flawless mustache is manlier than a thousand normal beards.</p>

<p>And I quote:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, upper lip,
  cheeks and neck of human beings.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>A mustache is also a beard.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-17T21:47:28.000Z
*"A mustache is also a beard"* - We all know that's not true; that definition is just poor...
BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-17T23:26:29.610Z
This definition (from Wikipedia) says it grows on the chin, lip, cheeks, AND neck. I believe that means simultaneously, especially given their [first image of it](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Incredibeard.jpg). xD
Cattua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-01T04:05:40.237Z
strong beard dont grow on chins, they move to the upper levels.
animenix
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-17T13:09:47.727Z
2013-02-17T17:06:56.090Z
2013-02-17T17:06:56.090Z
Christian Aurig Frøkjær
<p>When the manga was being fan-translated, the translator left a note about how the name in japanese could be translated as white mustache or white beard.  His words went something like, "Who wants to be White Mustach when you can be White Beard."</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T02:28:43.123Z
2014-02-27T02:28:43.123Z
adrimi7
<p>Edward Newgate's nickname in Japanese is Shirohige (shiro = white, hige = facial hair). Japanese does not distinguish between beard and moustache<sup>1</sup>. However, a literal translation <em>White Facial Hair</em> sounds a pretty poor nickname for one of the World's strongest pirates, and even sounds comedic. Whitemoustache isn't much better either. Whitebeard has a nice ring to it.</p>

<p>Also, <a href="/questions/tagged/fairy-tail" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged 'fairy-tail'" rel="tag">fairy-tail</a>'s Lucy's nickname for the <a href="http://fairytail.wikia.com/wiki/Celestial_Spirit_King">Celestial Spirit King</a> is "hige-oyaji" (translated as moustache-man, in context), and he has only a moustache, which suggests that "hige" is used to refer to both moustache and beard in Japanese. </p>

<hr>

<p><sup>1: Google Translate says that "Beard" is "Agohige", and "Moustache" is "Kuchihige". However, they did not call him "Shirokuchihige" in the original, so the distinction seems to be not widely used.</sup> </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-21T05:28:41.073Z
`However, a literal translation "White Facial Hair"` lol, +1 just for that
SingerOfTheFall
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-03T21:16:42.563Z
i think also the decision to use Whitebeard in translation was also reinforced by Blackbeard, a well known pirate, after all, you can't really have a pirate series without some sort of reference too him, even if it's a change to the first part of his name
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-17T13:42:27.617Z
2013-02-19T11:07:35.983Z
2013-02-19T11:07:35.983Z
Masked Man
<p>Why do they call him "Whitebeard"?</p>

<p>He doesn't even have a beard!</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/yfoeG.jpg" alt="Whitebeard"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T21:11:22.143Z
@maseru For laughs, here you can read the disaster on [a page from chapter 133](https://i.sstatic.net/WfTSi.jpg), where the name originally was translated as "moustache" as in "The Black Moustache Pirates destroyed Drum island."
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-17T13:00:14.920Z
lol, that trollface whitebeard
StackedCrooked
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-19T11:20:40.123Z
Language - I love it. In some languages, that's called a beard, too, for example German (Schnurr*bart*, Oberlippen*bart*).
looper
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-31T04:06:40.213Z
Imagine the disaster if they call him "WHITEMOUSTACHE".. lol
maseru
<one-piece><japanese-language>
Why is Edward Newgate called Whitebeard?
# Why is Edward Newgate called Whitebeard?
Posted by: username_0 on 2013-02-17
Why do they call him "Whitebeard"?

He doesn't even have a beard!

![Whitebeard](https://i.sstatic.net/yfoeG.jpg)
**Tags:** one-piece japanese-language
> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: lol, that trollface whitebeard  
> **username_3**: Language - I love it. In some languages, that's called a beard, too, for example German (Schnurr*bart*, Oberlippen*bart*).  
> **username_4**: Imagine the disaster if they call him "WHITEMOUSTACHE".. lol  
> **username_1**: @maseru For laughs, here you can read the disaster on [a page from chapter 133](https://i.sstatic.net/WfTSi.jpg), where the name originally was translated as "moustache" as in "The Black Moustache Pirates destroyed Drum island."  
---
## 3 answers
### Answer by username_10 on 2013-02-17. Score: 53 | Accepted answer
Edward Newgate's nickname in Japanese is Shirohige (shiro = white, hige = facial hair). Japanese does not distinguish between beard and moustache1. However, a literal translation *White Facial Hair* sounds a pretty poor nickname for one of the World's strongest pirates, and even sounds comedic. Whitemoustache isn't much better either. Whitebeard has a nice ring to it.

Also, [fairy-tail](/questions/tagged/fairy-tail "show questions tagged 'fairy-tail'")'s Lucy's nickname for the [Celestial Spirit King](http://fairytail.wikia.com/wiki/Celestial_Spirit_King) is "hige-oyaji" (translated as moustache-man, in context), and he has only a moustache, which suggests that "hige" is used to refer to both moustache and beard in Japanese.

---

1: Google Translate says that "Beard" is "Agohige", and "Moustache" is "Kuchihige". However, they did not call him "Shirokuchihige" in the original, so the distinction seems to be not widely used.
> **Comments:**
> **username_11** (2013-02-21): `However, a literal translation "White Facial Hair"` lol, +1 just for that  
> **username_12** (2013-12-03): i think also the decision to use Whitebeard in translation was also reinforced by Blackbeard, a well known pirate, after all, you can't really have a pirate series without some sort of reference too him, even if it's a change to the first part of his name  
---
### Answer by username_5 on 2013-02-17. Score: 14
Why is Blackbeard called Blackbeard when he only has perma-stubble? Whitebeard´s flawless mustache is manlier than a thousand normal beards.

And I quote:

> A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, upper lip,
> cheeks and neck of human beings.

A mustache is also a beard.
> **Comments:**
> **username_6** (2013-02-17): *"A mustache is also a beard"* - We all know that's not true; that definition is just poor...  
> **username_7** (2013-02-17): This definition (from Wikipedia) says it grows on the chin, lip, cheeks, AND neck. I believe that means simultaneously, especially given their [first image of it](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Incredibeard.jpg). xD  
> **username_8** (2019-11-01): strong beard dont grow on chins, they move to the upper levels.  
---
### Answer by username_9 on 2014-02-27. Score: 2
When the manga was being fan-translated, the translator left a note about how the name in japanese could be translated as white mustache or white beard. His words went something like, "Who wants to be White Mustach when you can be White Beard."
---
