A field guide to 42 quintessential Larry David facial expressions

By Fusion Staff | August 6, 2015 | 11:00am

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You know Curb Your Enthusiasm as a 38-time Emmy-nominated HBO comedy series — and maybe as a collective fever dream shared by everyone who ever watched Seinfeld — but it’s also an unlikely wildlife documentary, devoted to the study of Larry David in his natural habitat. The Curb creator and star plays a misanthropic, fictionalized version of himself who operates on another plane of emotion, applying his unyielding moral code to every social encounter and sermonizing on the menaces of bald discrimination and the stop and chat (see also: the chat and cut).

But the hilarity of Curb emerges not only from its largely improvised dialogue — Larry is a maestro of his own face. All eight seasons of the long-running TV show will be released for streaming on Amazon Prime today. Before you binge-watch, consult our handy guide to the meaning behind David’s every grimace, eyeroll, and sneer.

1. Triumphant

2. Sanctimonious

3. Jealous

4. Suspicious

5. Chastened

6. Indignant

7. Incredulous

8. Distracted

9. Horrified

10. Disappointed

11. Annoyed

12. Condescending

13. Amused

14. Unimpressed

15. Smug

16. Shocked

17. Resigned

18. Excited

19. Concerned

20. Self-Righteous

21. Humiliated

22. Aroused

23. Flirtatious

24. Offended

25. Hesitant

26. Mocking

27. Bored

28. Defensive

29. Leery

30. Scared

31. Noncommittal

32. Stressed

33. Aggressive

34. Cornered

35. Outraged

36. Sunburned

37. Smitten

38. Defiant

39. Accusatory

40. Wary

41. Unapologetic

42. Indecisive

Molly Fitzpatrick is senior editor of Fusion’s Pop & Culture section. Her interests include movies about movies, TV shows about TV shows, and movies about TV shows, but not so much TV shows about movies.