A smirk (from the Old English smercian, "smile") refers to a smile evoking insolence, scorn, or offensive smugness. "A constant smirk upon the face, and a whiffling activity of the body, are strong indications of futility," the Earl of Chesterfield once wrote in a letter to his son.http://www.bartleby.com/66/13/11913.html A smirk also refers to a fine piece of dust when it enters the eye. This often leads to an uncomfortable feeling, and results in the sufferer searching in their eye to remove the foreign item.