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The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

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THE BOOK OF TELLS<br />

<strong>The</strong> 'dart hold'<br />

cigarette is quite different. Here the fingers are likely to be<br />

extended, so that the palm is exposed, and the hand is<br />

likely to be held up and away from the body, rather than<br />

down and close to the body, thereby creating an overall<br />

impression <strong>of</strong> defencelessness. While the man's wrist is<br />

typically rigid, the woman's wrist can be either flexed or<br />

extended. When a woman has her wrist straight it's <strong>of</strong>ten<br />

part <strong>of</strong> an 'exposed-wrist display'. Here the hand is held<br />

up and away from the body, the palm is exposed, and the<br />

inside <strong>of</strong> the wrist is presented for everyone to see.<br />

Women unconsciously use this posture to draw attention<br />

to their wrist because it's a s<strong>of</strong>t and vulnerable part <strong>of</strong> their<br />

body. By holding her cigarette with an 'exposed wrist display'<br />

a woman shows submissiveness, and this supposedly<br />

makes her attractive to men. <strong>The</strong>re are cases where men use<br />

the same display as a camp gesture - both Oscar Wilde<br />

and Noel Coward liked to hold their cigarette in this<br />

position.<br />

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