The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language

smoke in either direction. A person who is feeling positive

superior or confident about what he sees or hears will blow the

smoke in an upward direction most of the time. Conversely, a

person in a negative, secretive or suspicious frame of mind will

blow the smoke down most of the time. Blowing down and

from the corner of the mouth indicates an even more negative

or secretive attitude.

Smoke blown up: confident, superior, positive;

smoke blown down: negative, secretive, suspicious

In films, the leader of a motorcycle gang or criminal syndicate
is usually portrayed as a tough, aggressive man who, as he
smokes, tilts his head back sharply and with controlled preci-
sion blows the smoke towards the ceiling to demonstrate his
superiority to the rest of the gang. In contrast, Humphrey
Bogart was often cast as a gangster or tough guy who held his
cigarette inverted in his hand and blew the smoke down from
the corner of his mouth as he planned a jailbreak or other
devious activity. There also appears to be a relationship
between how positive or negative the person feels and the
speed at which he exhales the smoke. The faster the smoke is
blown upwards the more superior or confident; the faster it is
blown down, the more negative he feels.
If a smoker is playing cards and is dealt a good hand, he is
likely to blow the smoke upwards, whereas a poor hand may
cause him to blow it downwards. While some card players use
a 'poker face' when playing cards as a way of not showing any