Nose Touching Gesture

The nose touch gesture is sophesticated, disguised version of the mouth guard gesture. It may consist of several light rubs below the nose or it may be one quick, almost imperceptible touch. Some women use this gesture with small discrete strokes to avoid smudging their make-up. There are various explanations to this gesture:when a negative thought enters the mind, the subconscious instructs the hand to cover the mouth, but to appear not so obvious, the gesture is changed to a light rub on the nose. Lying causes the delicate nerve endings to tingle and the rubbing action takes place to satisfy this feeling.

Mouth Guard Gesture

Mouth guard gesture is identified as the hands pressed against the mouth, with the thumb pressing against the cheek as the brain subconsciously instructs it to try and suppress the deceitful words that are being said. Many people try to disguise the mouth guard gesture by giving a fake cough. If the person who is speaking uses this gesture, it indicates that he is telling a lie. If however, he covers his mouth while you are speaking, it indicates that he feels you are lying.

Shaking Thumb

The thumb can also be used as a signal of ridicule or disrespect when it is used to point at another person. For example, the husband who leans across to his friend points toward his wife with a closed fist thumb gesture and says, 'Women are all the same, you know', is inviting an argument with his wife. In this case, the shaking thumb is used as a pointer to ridicule the unfortunate woman. Consequently, thumb-pointing is irritating to most women, particularly when a man does it. The shaking thumb is less common among women, although they sometimes use the gesture at their husbands or at people they don't like.

Thumbs Up Position

Arms folded with thumbs pointing upwards is another popular thumb gesture position. This is a double signal being that of a defensive or negative attitude (folded arms) plus a superior attitude (displayed by the thumbs). The person using this double gesture usually gesticulates with his or her thumbs.

Thumbs Protruding from Back Pocket

Thumbs often protrude from people's pockets, sometimes from the back pockets in a secretive manner as if trying to hide the person's dominant attitude.

Waistcoat Thruster

The display of thumb denotes the strength of character and ego. They are used to express superiority and dominance or sometimes even aggression. They are apparently positive signals often used in the typical pose of the 'cool' manager who uses them in the presence of his subordinates. Even a courting man uses them in the presence of a potential female partner and it is most common among people who have a high status or new clothes.

Humble Opinion

The thumbs which display superiority, become most obvious when a person gives a contradictory verbal message. Take for example a lawyer who turns to the jury in a soft, low voice and says, "In my humble opinion, ladies and gentlemen of the jury...' while displaying dominant thumb gestures and tilting back his head to 'look down his nose'. This makes the jury feel the lawyer is insecure, even pompous.

Upper Arm Grip Gesture


Interestingly, the further the hand is moved up the back, the angrier the person has become. It is this type of gesture that has given rise to expressions like, "get a good grip on yourself".

Hand Gripping Wrists

The hand-gripping-wrist gesture is a signal of frustration and an attempt at self-control. In this caseone hand grips the other wrist or arm very tightly as if it is an attempt by one arm to prevent the other from striking out.

Superiority Confidence Gesture

This gesture allows the person to expose his vulnerable stomach, heart and throat regions to others in an unconscious act of fearlessness. Our own experience shows that if you take this position when you take this position when you are in a high stress situation, such as being interviewed by newspaper reporters or simply waiting outside a dentist's surgery, you will feel quite relaxed, confident and even authoritative.

Lower Steeple

When the steepler is listening rather than speaking then the lowered steeple gesture is used. Usually, women tend to use the lowered steeple position more often than the raised steeple position. When the raised steeple is taken with the head tilted back, the person assumes an air of smugness or arrogance. Although the steeple gesture is a positive signal, it can be used in either positive or negative circumstances and may be interpreted.

Raised Steeple

Managers use this gesture to give instructions or advice to subordinates. This gesture has two positions: the raised and the lowered steeple. The raised steeple is normally taken when a person is giving his opinions or ideas and he is doing the talking.

Rubbing Thumb Against Fingertips

Rubbing the thumb against the fingertips or against the index finger is commonly used as a money expectancy gesture. This is obviously a gesture that should be avoided by a professional when dealing with his clients.

Rubbing Palms Together

Rubbing the palms together is a way in which people non-verbally communicate positive expectation. The speed at which a person rubs his palms together signals whom he thinks will receive the positive results that are expected.

Should Hold

The shoulder hold (wherein the initiator places a hand on the receiver's shoulder while shaking hands) in a double-handed handshake conveys the same message but transmits more feelings than the upper arm grip. Upper arm grip and shoulder hold should be used only between people who experience a close emotional bond at the time of the handshake.

Upper Arm Grip

The upper arm grip enters the receiver's close intimate zone and may involve actual body contact, wherein the initator places a hand on the receivers arm while shaking hands. Unless the extra feeling is mutual or the initiator does not have a good reason for using a double-handed handshake, the receiver will become suspicious and mistrust the initiator's intentions. It is quite common to see politicians greeting voters and sales people meeting their new customers with a double-handed handshake without realizing that this can be a social suicide, putting off the receiver.

Elbow Grasp

The elbow grasp in a double-handed handshake conveys the same message but transmits more feelings than the the wrist hold. Same as in the case of a wrist hold, the elbow grasp is acceptable only between close friends and relatives.

Wrist Hold

A double-handed handshake intends to show sincerity, trust or depth of feeling towards the receiver. In the wrist hold, the initiator's left hand makes an invasion of the receiver's intimate and close intimate zones. In general, this hold is acceptable only between close friends and relatives and in these cases the initator's left hand penetrates the receiver's intimate zone.

Arm-Pull Handshake

Pulling the receiver into the initiator's territory can mean one of the two things: (1) the initiator is an insecure person who feels safe only within his own personal space; or (2) the initiator is from a culture that has a small intimate zone and he is behaving normally. Hence, in this case it is important to judge which of the two are the reason for the Arm-Pull handshake.

Fingertrip Grab

The fingertip grab is like the stiff arm thrust that has missed the mark; the user mistakenly grabs the other person's fingers. Even though the initiator may appear to have a keen and enthusiastic attitude toward the receiver, in fact, he lacks confidence in himself.

Stiff arm thrust


It tends to be used by aggressive types and its main purpose is to keep you at a distance and out of the initiator's intimate zone. They quite literally want to keep you at a distance. This also could be behind the popular phrase - "at an arm's length".

Glove/Politicians Handshake

The glove handshake (when we use both our hands to shake hands with somebody) is sometimes called the politician's handshake. The initiator tries to give the receiver the impression that he is trustworthy and honest, but when this technique is used on a person he has just met, it has the reverse effect. The receiver feels suspicious and cautious about the initiator's intentions. It should be used only amongst people who are well-acquanited.

Knuckle Grinder


The knuckle grinder is the trademark of the aggressive "tough guy" type. Unfortunately, there are no effective ways to counter it, apart from verbal abuse or physical action such as a punch on the nose.

Dead Fish Handshake

This gesture is very uninviting as the hand is cold and clammy. The soft, placid feel of the dead fish makes it universally unpopular and most people relate it a weak character, mainly because of the ease with which the palm can be turned up.

Palm Down Thrust

The palm down thrust is certainly the most aggressive handshake style as it gives the receiver little chance of establishing an equal relationship. This handshake is typical of the aggressive, dominant individual who always initiates it and the stiff arm with the palm facing directly downwards forces the receiver into the submissive position because he/she has to respond with his/her palm facing up (or the submissive stance).

Proper Handshake

When two dominant people shake hands, a symbolic struggle takes place as each person tries to turn the other's palm into the submissive position. The result is a vice-like handshake with both palms remaining in the vertical position as each person transmits a feeling of respect and rapport to the other.

Submissive Handshake

Just as the downward palm is indicative of dominance; the palm up gesture is used to show submission to the other. This can be particularly effective when you want to give the other person control or allow him to feel that he is in command of the situation.

Dominant Handshake

If you want to understand who has the power in an encounter between two individuals, observe the way in which they shake hands. Dominance, during a handshake, is transmitted by turning the hand in such a manner that the palm faces downward. The palm need not be facing the floor directly, but should be facing downwards in relation to the other person's palm and it tells the other person that one wishes to take control in the encounter that follows.

Palm Power

Palms can convey anything from submission to authority.

Palm facing up  is used as a submissive, non-threatening gesture, reminiscent of the pleading gesture of a street beggar. When the palm is turned to face downwards, you will have immediate authority. The palm closed into a fist and the and the pointed finger become a symbolic club with which the speaker figuratively beats his listener, into submission

Open Palms


You would think that palm-reading was restricted only to the study of palmistry. This, however, is not the case. Studying the palms is also relevant in the study of body language.

Haven't you wondered why oaths are taken with the palm over the heart or why we swear with our palms held up in the court of law as a symbol of our honorary and truthful intentions. An open palm is associated with truth, honesty, allegiance and submission. And one of the best way of discovering whether someone is being open and honest or not is to look for palm displays.

Hence, the next time your husband/boyfriend tells you something, remember to look at his palms.