Friday, November 19, 2010

Indian Head Nod







Ann has told me from time to time that sometimes I do the Indian Head Nod. I thought she was crazy, there is no such thing as Indian Head Nod.    I hate to admit it, but I was wrong. 

Different cultures have different ways of saying yes or no, with their heads. 
Americans nod up and down for yes and side to side for no. 
Indian are more complicated. They say yes and no both by side to side movement. Straight side to side means no. But side to side with a little tilt means okay, all right or yes. Watch me and see if you can do it!





5 comments:

  1. I've never noticed you doing this! I've seen you count on your fingers a different way than the typical American, but never the Indian head nod. On YouTube there are several videos of the head nod, but even more exaggerated than what you did here. Does an extended wobble mean more than yes? (The sound is very bad on the videos, so they may be explaining but I can't hear what they're saying.)

    Very interesting. I'll watch for it when you get home.

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  2. It usually is very subtle and means ok, all right etc. For an emphatic yes, Indian nod the head up and down like Americans :)

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  3. Oh my gosh...I never knew it had a name!! You have been doing this for as long as I have known you (28 years)...So funny!!!I love it..

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  4. Lori: You must be talking to Ann and she put you up to say that. There is no way I have been doing it for 28 years! In 28 years people forget their names let alone a weird habit!

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  5. I would call it the Indian head tilt - and I think it means - ok, ok, whatever you say crazy American - I will agree so you will stop bothering me!

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