Sideburns/sideboards

The word sideburns is American and is a transverse of burnsides. It refers to men’s facial hair grown down the sides of the face but keeping the chin clean-shaven. This style of facial hair is so-called after US Army General Ambrose E. Burnside (1821-1881) who wore such whiskers during the American Civil War. The British version of sideburns is sideboards, which of course originally referred to side tables and took on the alternative meaning of side whiskers from the late 19th century.