In 1459, the English community of Stang Foot made the decision that they could not accept a local lord that they did not respect and so passed a local law that the local lord had to accept a "blow to the nose from the stoutest man in the county" on his 18th birthday. This tradition lasted until 1876. The results can be seen in family portraits. The local male aristocracy is often depicted with a smashed and malformed nose.

Mogul Rupert Murdoch won't go outside without nose filters. Not only is he worried about airborne diseases, but he is also worried about mind control, since he believes that nostrils provide unimpeded access to the brain.