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The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

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SEXUAL TELLS<br />

the sixteenth century, Italian women used a tincture <strong>of</strong><br />

belladonna to dilate their pupils. Belladonna (which<br />

means 'beautiful woman' in Italian) contains atropine,<br />

which dilates the pupils, making the person look more<br />

aroused and therefore more attractive.<br />

• THE SIDEWAYS LOOK. This is done by looking at someone<br />

while one's head is turned away. <strong>The</strong> sideways look<br />

conveys two opposing messages - the directed gaze<br />

signals approach, while the averted head signals avoidance.<br />

<strong>The</strong> tension between approach and avoidance is<br />

partly what gives the sideways look its appeal - it's this<br />

that makes the person who is performing the sideways<br />

look appear so interesting and attractive. This is<br />

especially the case when the look is combined with a<br />

smile to create a 'turn-away smile'. <strong>The</strong> other factor<br />

behind the gesture's appeal is the implicit suggestion that<br />

the person is turning back. When a woman looks at a<br />

man with her head averted he's inclined to get the feeling<br />

that she has stopped what she was doing in order to<br />

look at him. He might even imagine that the sight <strong>of</strong> him<br />

was so arresting that the woman's head didn't have time<br />

to catch up with her eyes! Women mostly use the sideways<br />

look, although men do employ it with the same<br />

coquettish effect. Because it involves a presentation <strong>of</strong><br />

the side <strong>of</strong> the face, the sideways look can also be seen<br />

as a form <strong>of</strong> 'flanking' - in other words, the appeasement<br />

that's signalled by <strong>of</strong>fering the side <strong>of</strong> one's body can also<br />

be conveyed, in a slightly reduced form, by presenting<br />

someone with the side <strong>of</strong> one's face.<br />

• HOODED EYES. <strong>The</strong> hooded look is achieved by lowering<br />

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