Just say “cheese”!

Whenever we travel to Salt Lake City, we love to shop at Trader Joe’s and wish we had a store like it in Park City. We particularly appreciate their cheese offering, that is both varied and incredibly affordable compared to the other grocery stores, with the exception, perhaps, of Costco, but that definitely lacks in variety. 

So, yesterday, when the Trader Joe’s cashier rang up our order she noticed the significant quantity of good cheese we had bought, expressed her admiration and asked us what we’d to with all of it. To my surprise, I blurted out: “I’m a professional photographer who takes group photos and I always display a piece of it before I shoot a picture while asking my subjects to say “Cheese!” 

The attendant laughed and though my response was funny… Beyond her reaction, it’s of course a well-known fact that we often use "say cheese" to elicit smiles in photos and while there isn't a definitive origin for the phrase, here are some theories: 

First, the "ch" sound in cheese requires slight teeth engagement, while the "ee" stretches the lips, naturally forming a smile shape. Some believe this connection encourages a smile. It could also be that early cameras required long exposure times, making smiles difficult to maintain. 

A quick phrase like "cheese" helped capture a momentary smile at the right time. Of course “Cheese” works for America, but different cultures use various prompts like “ouistiti” (marmoset) in French, "patata" (potato) in Spanish or "kimchi" in Korean, suggesting an adaptability and, obviously, a lack of a single origin.