h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I read recently that NZ is the only place in the world where people greet each other by flicking or raising the eyebrows up (it's similar to how people raise their head to acknowledge another person).

Apparently it's a NZ/Polynesian thing, but I thought I'd check with an international selection of people...

I do it too. I'm sort of mongrel-British (a little bit of everywhere, except NI).

RF

I do it too, seems common here in the UK.

Me too. Perfectly normal in Britland.

Noggin

oh well that blows that theory then.

I'll have to see if I can find the article to see what he was on about - it was written by an expat kiwi with reference to the US maybe...

Although it did just occur to me that I got it round the wrong way (that'll teach me to start threads late at night) - that everyone raises their eyebrows, but in NZ we also raise/flick our heads as a greeting.

So, do you say hello by lifting your head?

Yep, we do that too!

The Irish have a perculiar sort of sideways nod.

The Irish have a perculiar sort of sideways nod. It's one of those things tourists are told in the guidebooks (along with our habit of using the hazard lights to say thanks to someone who pulled in to let us overtake).

TRiG.

ok, seems I had it right the first time:

>>>It's our common thread of Maoridom that distinguishes us from inhabitants of the other great Anglo-Saxon ex-colonies and the British homeland. For example, those raised eyebrow acknowledgements that we exchange in the street are pure Polynesia – the Pacific Islands and Aotearoa being the only places where this occurs. The 200-odd years of Pakeha settlement in this south-western outpost of Polynesia have taught us this and many of the other traits we hold dear as "Kiwi".

I worked in a Connecticut boatyard, where my workmates used to tease me about it … but they couldn't physically do the eyebrow act without bobbing their heads. And attempts to mimick my "giddays" came out as "gooday". I'd arrive at work to a chorus of bobbing Americans, all parroting, "gooday".
<<<

http://www.nzlistener.co.nz/default,2279.sm

So maybe it's just the Americans that didn't get the hang of it...

In Greece the sideways nod (one nod only and very slight) means yes . the raised eyebrow, slight jerk back of the head thing means "no"

That connecticut boatyard reminded me of the Monty Python sketch where they start acting like parrots. "Who's a pretty boy then?"

Is that why long fringes arent popular round your way

I do it to only in my case it's my eyeBROW. (Being a bit of a I only have one!).

Apparently I also do it as a sign of remonstration. A pupil once caused me to when she said, "Don't you raise your eyebrow at me!" That defused a potentially awkward situation.

The 4th word should have been 'too'.

Greetings (I see you, I recognise you) - raise both eyebrows, slight dip of head, eye contact

Disapproval (don't even think of saying or doing something) - raise one eyebrow, slight dip of head, eye contact

Oh no, not again (superior giving same old lecture/story displaying idiocy) - glance at co-sufferer, raise both eyebrows while simultaneously rolling eyes upwards and to left, tipping head back. Perfected by teenagers, may also contain drawing in of breath, sigh or tut.

In NZ it's more of an upward nod, either the head, or both eyebrows, or the two together.

Hispanic men in Puerto Rico and south Florida seem to do it too, as an "I see you, but my wife and four children are right here" type of thing.

Going off on a tnagent, does anyone in the rest of the world point with their lips? I learned that trick in Puerto Rico and love it, as it's much more subtle than raising a finger and saying "Willya lookat that, Clem!"

The men do it in Cuba all the time - smacking their lips.

That sort of machismo is usual in South America also - like walking down the street to a load of castanettes!

English men don't use their lips like that normally, thank goodness.

I didn't mean it in that way, rather that either gender would kinda pucker their lips and slightly turn the head in whichever direction to point towards something, anythng. I've never noticed anything especially sexual about that behavior. It's waaay too discrete for what I've observed of Hispanic Male (wannabe) Mating Ritual.