Thursday, September 21, 2006

What's in a wink?


wink , clin d'oeil
Originally uploaded by tunisian.
Ok, so what's in a wink? In the past week or so, winks have been either happening to me or around me. It's made me ponder, what's in a wink?
And, even more---what does it mean if the starbucks guy winks at me (for those that know who I mean, the cute Latin-American guy with curly hair..ummmm very cute!)
Or, this Persian guy who flooded my office with smiles yesterday....
Or, a girlfriend who smiles and winks from across campus?

In this post-modern world, a wink has many meanings. I suppose it's based upon the giver/reciever.

Here's one of my favorite site-wikipedia's answer to the "wink:".....

The wink is an intentional facial expression made by closing one eye; it is distinguished from the blink by the fact that the other eye remains open. A wink is a form of semi-formal communication, which indicates shared, unspoken knowledge.

A wink can silently indicate a shared secret, such as if a salesperson gives a customer a brochure and says "here you go, it's free". Infrequently, it may also mean "got it" or "yes, I understand".

In Western cultures, women may wink to men they are interested in dating, but this has grown out of fashion though it is still used occasionally. Winking is also done by men to women, as a form of charm.

In Latin American cultures, winking is also a romantic or sexual invitation. In Nigeria, winking is a signal for children to leave the room. [1] Many Chinese consider winking to be rude. [2].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wink

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:49 AM

    I think you answered your own query Di..if the Starbucks guy is Latin American, and your research tells you a wink in Latin American is romantic or sexual in nature, I'd say go get yourself another double latte (for here, please)!

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  2. Anonymous4:12 PM

    eheheh...I do agree totally...I wish I could wink....maybe then men would stop being so clueless...:-))

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  3. :) Well, I would like to think that cute guy winked at me...but I think he just had something stuck in his eye.

    Sofia---they are not totally clueless, they want you for your body! heeeee

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  4. Anonymous9:22 PM

    Di,
    I thought I was ready a Sex in the City column...what is in a wink?
    I wink a lot already!
    From this day forward, I will be aware of how I
    intend to use my wink, that is ...to take note of what my purpose is.
    Personally, I have used my winks for all of the aforementioned reasons...romance, secrets, etc...
    (never to be rude, although I have no control over how my winks have been received). ciao.

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  5. Anonymous9:23 PM

    oops...reading a Sex in the City column...

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