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The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

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THE BOOK OF TELLS<br />

<strong>The</strong> 'bent-leg hold'<br />

people use a 'calf hold' - in other words, they use the<br />

middle bones <strong>of</strong> their fingers to hold the cigarette. Women<br />

are also fond <strong>of</strong> the 'foot hold', with the fingers straight,<br />

and the same is true <strong>of</strong> men who wish to convey an<br />

impression <strong>of</strong> sophistication. Men who work with their<br />

hands, however, are inclined to use a 'thigh hold' or even<br />

a 'crotch hold', with the fingers bent.<br />

<strong>The</strong> most dramatic gender differences in smoking style<br />

are to be found in the location <strong>of</strong> the hand and the<br />

position <strong>of</strong> the wrist. Here we find that men are more<br />

likely to keep the hand holding the cigarette close to their<br />

body, to keep the wrist straight, and to curl the fingers<br />

inwards towards the palm. <strong>The</strong>se conventional postures<br />

conform to a primitive rule which requires men to remain<br />

vigilant: that's why the wrist is kept straight, the hands are<br />

kept down and the fingers are curled in preparation for<br />

attack or defence. <strong>The</strong>re are occasions when men hold<br />

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