[Ads-l] "He shook his head yes."

[Laurence Horn]

> On May 27, 2017, at 5:34 PM, Margaret Winters <mewinters at WAYNE.EDU> wrote:
> 
> In Greece, "no" is signaled with a movement of the head straight back -- sort of the opposite of a nod.

Clearly they’re confused by the fact that their word for yes is “nai” (pronounced something like “nay”), so of course they’d nod for ‘no’.

LH
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On May 27, 2017, at 10:07 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> 
>> Isn't there some place (Albania?) where the actual behavioral reversal is
>> normal?
>> 
>> Seems I read about it in the '80s.
>> 
>> JL
>> 
>> On Sat, May 27, 2017 at 2:46 PM, Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> I recall getting corrected in a writing group on either shook or nod a
>>> couple years back. I was told that one is only for “no" and the other only
>>> for “yes".
>>> 
>>> Benjamin Barrett
>>> Formerly of Seattle, WA
>>> 
>>>> On 27 May 2017, at 11:39, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> I've heard this several times. As if you couldn't guess,  on TV.
>>>> 
>>>> JL
>>>> 
>>>>> On Fri, May 26, 2017 at 2:50 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> As he said this, the speaker mimed *nodding* his head yes, of course.
>>>>> 
>>>>> This is no new thing, in my experience. Is "nod" going the way of
>>> "farther"
>>>>> and "-l[ai]ved"?
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> -Wilson
>>>>> 
>>> 
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org