The famous Indian head nod or wiggle

hello everybody.

Just another basic question about India...

when most Indian people I meet talk, they move their heads in a funny way.
in the beginning I thought it was supposed to mean "maybe" but they just keep doing that all the time.

any ideas?

10q.

and not "maybe", also "no problem" but never "no". You will learn it fast and can confuse your friends at home, have fun.
Gerlinde

I find it highly entertaining to meet other travelers who've been in India long enough that they can do their little Indian head-wiggle without even realizing it. It's great to watch their conversations from a far. I still have to try to do it consciously do it but it's fun nonetheless, and I'm getting better at it. hehe.

a friend of mine who is indian-american called me on the head wiggle the other day when i was talking to a professor from india. he started wiggling and i started wiggling right back... even when you've been back for ages, you can't escape the wiggle! (also known as "the bobble."

I do the Indian head wiggle and it buggs the hell out of me, I just cant stop doing it

During my first contact with India I had a sense of rejection or disaproval because of the head tilting.
In my country, and I guess in Europe in general, this head movement is used to express mild disaproval mainly for the actions of a child. Kind of: "Hmmm... bad boy, I will let you have it this time, but..."
After learning what it meant, I quickly unconsciously picked it up and sometimes inadvertently do it even at home.

Well, you all seem like talented people. I wonder how many other India hands there are like me, who - despite practising in front of a mirror in the privacy of their home - have failed to master the said wiggle.

The best I've been able to get is a rather jerky snap to one side or the other, not unlike those with an uncontrollable tic. The smootheness just isn't there, and I don't want to appear like I'm mocking the afflicted, so I gave up on the exercise. But then, I don't dance very well, either...

I suspect it is something in the genes which determines whether one can do this head movement - rather like furrowing the tongue (another one I tried and failed with). Could there be a grant going for a possible research project here?

You need to fully relax your neck and shoulders to get that smoothness which you desire

I have fully mastered it and quite embarassingly do it all the time now. Indidans who have travelled know that generally white girls cannot do this, find it most amusing.

how exactly the specific movement goes...I hearing this for first time here....
Yes ofcourse I heard it for first time since Ihavent been to India yet!!!
Although I have been confused in other countries ...i.e:Bulgaria where the thing with the head movements are exactly the opossite from my country!
So anyone can describe the specific Indian Head movement??
How u called it????

thanks
iasis

OK, I've been in India for a bit over a week (am currently in Kovalam staying at the lovely guesthouse Hari Lekshmi) and feel like I'm starting to get SOME glimmer of understanding of some of the subtleties of the Indian head bobble, but am wondering if anyone knows the ins and outs of it? It seems like it can mean anything from "Go on, I'm listening," to "Yes", "No," "What the hell are you saying?" Etc.

Any tips? Are there standards like the Western shake and nod? Or is it entirely contextual?

Indians and the weird head tilting.

Understanding head and hand gestures in India.

We need a head bobble smiley and a hand waving smiley.

Apana

Indian bobble head smiley..
I know it's not perfect. I'll work on it..

An up and down movement of head generally indicates 'yes'.
Side to side a little vigoruosly means 'No'

Side to side slowly -> (quite funny). Take an example, you are
explaining a bad situation to your friend or complaining about
something (like no electricity), your friend might move his head
side to side (slowly) which means, he understands your situation
but also agrees with you that the thing should not have
happened.