14 centrespread centrespread 15 FEBRUARY 18-24, 2018 FEBRUARY 18-24, 2018 CULTURAL CONNOTATIONS THE WEST ASIA Winking in Western culture can be used as a In China, and to some extent way of letting someone else know that the in India, winking may be seen as an offensive winker or some other person is joking gesture. It can be used to signal an "inside" joke, or lying. It may also be used to a sly gesture shared between two people communicate sexual intentions, privately, unbeknownst to those around them, ranging from flirtation as in a social gathering. A wink can be friendly, fl irtatious, conspiratorial, to an explicit invitation. AFRICA lecherous… you name it. In fact, according to psychologists, a wink can be the most wide-ranging, In West African countries, a wink by a parent to a child, usually means the children should leave the ambiguous behaviours there is. So when all eyes are room when there is a guest, as the presence of the on you, wink. That’s about it. But in India, a mere wink child in the room is considered disrespectful. can stir up a (superfl uous) storm. The Malayalam movie WINKY Oru Adaar Love's song Manikya Malaraya Poovi has AFFAIR apparently roiled up a controversy involving its lyrics IT’S CONTROVERSIAL and its actor Priya Prakash Varrier's expressions. If accompanied by words, a wink A wink, or one-eyed blink, can also be used to take "the sting" happens when you contract ET Magazine checks how once the wink is out there, out of what has actually been said. a facial muscle called the or- Here are some of the infamous it’s anyone’s guess as to how the public will receive it: winks ever: bicularis oculi, which controls he winked on rope lines and at rallies. ernandez, at the Rio Olym- he Australian PM appeared on a :: Joyshree Baruah eyelid movements. Like all She winked at least six times at 70 pics in 2016 — her first ma- radio show to discuss the budget movements of the face, the Smillion viewers on the vice-presiden- Hjor international competi- Tand answer questions from callers. motion is managed by the WHAT’S THE tial debate platform opposite her rival, Joe uring an official welcome ceremony on the tion, winked at the judges before When Abbott was listening to a woman facial motor nucleus, a group "She is trying to act like a southern White House lawn in 2007, Bush stumbled the biggest floor routine of her PRIYA PRAKASH Biden. who had called in to ask him how she of neurons in the brain stem belle. She is not acting like someone who over a line in his speech, initially saying elite gymnastics life. She went could afford to survive with the new VARRIER D that help you do everything could be president of the US,” said one the Queen had helped celebrate the US bicenten- on to nail her routine, becoming tax rise, she said she worked on an from smiling to furrowing CONTROVERSY? American voting for Republican. In case nial in 1776, rather than 1976. Realising his mis- a gold medalist in the women’s adult sex line to make ends meet, and your brows. you missed them, take, he winked at the monarch gymnastics team all- that "that was the only was There are some people, no www.palin- before turning back to the around competition she could do it". At matter how hard they try, wink.com assembled dignitaries — the first repeat that moment, Ab- just can’t wink: The muscles now plays to say: "She gave me gold in that cate- bott winked at the that winking requires just Palin’s a look that only a gory ever for an radio-show host don’t have the real estate winks on a mother could give American squad and smirked, in the facial motor nucleus. loop. a child." Now, the — and becoming which continued The connection between the Queen is not used Team US’s Olympic till he faced the brain and the muscles isn’t to being winked at. sweetheart. camera a few strong enough. And certainly seconds later to not by a realise his mistake. fellow head Confirming what most of state, on a people with two thumbs and public platform a phone already knew, one n the music video, which was released on February 9, two school students have in front of 2015 study in the Quarterly a romantic exchange across a crowded hall, their flirtations unfolding through 7,000 Journal of Experimental Psychology found that a eye contact. India's moral police has come down on her like a ton of bricks. A GEORGE W BUSH people. LAURIE HERNANDEZ I SARAH PALIN TONY ABBOTT wink makes a message seem group of men in Hyderabad have filed a police case against the filmmakers claim- more sarcastic, even when ing that the lyrics of the teaser song of Oru Adaar Love had hurt the religious that’s not the intention. sentiments of Muslims. But not before Varrier became an internet sensation, with massive jump in her Instagram followers and viral memes..