Fran came home in the wee small hours of the morning after a night out with
her girlfriends. Her husband was sitting up in bed, wide awake in a fury.
Although she’d done nothing other than have a bit of harmless fun, Fran
knew she was in trouble and had to change her husband’s mood quickly. She
threw herself into her helpless-little-girl behaviour, including wide-open eyes,
pouted lips, and canting her head to one side, which she instinctively knew
would appeal to her husband’s more tender and protective feelings. The ges-
tures worked and after explaining that he had just been worried, and appeal-
ing to her to let him know in the future if she was going to be back late, they
happily fell to sleep.If you want to show that what you’re saying isn’t meant to be taken too seri-
ously, give a short, sharp downward tilt of your head to one side, and add a
wink of the eye. People recognise this multi-purpose gesture as both humor-
ous and conspiratorial, as well as being a friendly social acknowledgement.The head cock.......................................................................................
Cocking your head involves a dip of the forehead and a twist of the chin as
you incline your head towards another person. This gesture is frequently
used as a non-contact greeting and relates back to the days when men would
doff or touch their hats in recognition, or tug their forelocks in acknowledge-
ment of another person.The head cock is a teasing, cajoling action intended to break down a person’s
resistance. Women appear appealing and provocative when they employ this
gesture, eliciting nurturing and protective feelings from the person they’re
seeking to entice.54 Part II: Starting at the Top
Gestures to assure safety and security
If an adult wants to appear appealing to another
adult in order to gain some recompense or
advantage she tilts her head to one side and
gives a gentle smile and expectant gaze in the
other person’s direction. Some women, wanting
to break down another person’s resistance
gladly take on the teasing, cajoling behaviours of
a precocious young girl. By tilting her head she is
reliving the times when she sought comfort, rest,or loving and tender bodily contact as she laid
her head against her parent’s body. As an adult,
she may not necessarily lean into her compan-
ion’s body, but the gesture alone is enough to stir
up protective emotions. With no understanding
of what’s happening or why, the reluctant feel-
ings that the companion had been harbouring
drift away.