Probably the most famous reference to the nose is the phrase "Cleopatra's nose," derived from Pascal's celebrated pensee, "If the nose of Cleopatra had been shorter, the whole face of the earth would have been changed," which cunningly incorporates Cleopatra's face in that of the earth. "The Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" explicates this as alluding to the beauty and charm of Cleopatra, and her conque…
SOURCE: John Simon at 12:26AM on September 6, 2016