Hair Glossary

The Duck Bill or Duck's Butt haircut was a 1950s hairstyle that was worn by rock and roll stars and their cool white male fans. It was also known as a greaser hairstyle and considered by parents and authority figures to be a rebellious look. The style was created by painstakingly combing all the hair back on the side of the head with a wide tooth comb and slicking it into place with hair grease. Philadelphia barber Joe Cirella created the popular "greaser" style in 1940 with hair grease such as Brylcream. It was quickly adopted by male celebrities, TV stars and rock and rollers. The Fonz from TV's Happy Days series portrayed this look quite effectively for his role. The style started to fade when the Beatles and other British rock bands lande din the United States in the early 1960s.