Facial hair that grows down the sides of a man's face in front of the ears.
A folk etymology from 'burnsides,' named after American Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, who wore distinctive whiskers. The original term 'burnsides' got flipped to 'sideburns' through metathesis (word part reversal).
General Burnside didn't invent the style, but his name got permanently stuck to it—then accidentally rearranged—making this one of history's greatest accidental name reversals in fashion!
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