Gee, do you think she might be sad?*
"Look at that body language. Legs crossed towards each other, that's an unequivocal sex invite."
— Cher, Clueless
Because sometimes, actions speak louder than words.
Tropes:
Categories:
- Accidental Unfortunate Gesture: Someone accidentally makes an offensive gesture.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Touching a kid's head affectionately.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Nose: Touching someone's nose in an affectionate way.
- Almost Holding Hands: A character considers holding their crush's hand, but then decides not to.
- Angry Cheek Puff: Puffing one's cheek to convey annoyance, frustration, stubbornness, or displeasure.
- Angry Eyebrows: A character gets a different face than usual when very angry.
- Angry Fist-Shake: Shaking your fist at someone who's angered you.
- Attentive Shade Lowering: When someone lowers their glasses beneath their eyes when something has peaked their interest.
- Awkward Collar Pull: Pulling one's collar as a show of embarrassment or nervousness.
- Badass Arm-Fold: Folding your arms out front as a sign of badassery or ambition.
- "Be Quiet!" Nudge: Hitting someone when they're about to say something that could get you in trouble to gesture that they should shut up right now.
- Berserker Tears: Crying out of anger.
- Bicep Kiss: An arrogant character, usually a man, kisses his bicep to show off his muscles.
- Bicep-Polishing Gesture: Rubbing one's bicep to try to appear muscular.
- Blind Shoulder Toss: Tossing an item considered unimportant over one's shoulder.
- Blowing a Raspberry: Sticking one's tongue out and blowing to make a fart noise. Used to show disapproval or defiance.
- Cape Swish: A character wearing a cape swishes it around.
- Captain Morgan Pose: A casual, adventurous, lustful (if a man), or attentive character puts one foot on a raised object, leans forward, and puts one hand on their knee.
- Caught the Heart on His Sleeve: Stopping someone you love from leaving by grabbing onto their sleeve.
- Characterizing Sitting Pose: The way a character sits tells us something about their personality.
- Character Tics: Body language quirks unique to a character.
- Coin Walk Flexing: A character walking a coin across their fingers is usually showing off how cool they are.
- Conducting the Carnage: Someone waves their hands as though conducting an orchestra or plays an instrument while brutal things happen, the implication being that the person finds the atrocities entertaining like music.
- Coquettish Lip Biting: Someone bites their lower lip to suggest romantic interest.
- Cover Innocent Eyes and Ears: Parents try to cover up their kids' eyes and ears whenever something inappropriate for children comes up.
- Cuckoo Finger Twirl: Twirling your finger beside the temple of your head to indicate someone is acting insane.
- Dance of Despair: Dancing to cope with severe sadness.
- Death Glare: Staring angrily at a person to indicate that you're very pissed off at them.
- Deep Breath Reveals Tension: Exhaling after narrowly escaping something serious.
- Deranged Dance: Dancing indicates a person is not of sound mind and is affected by mental illness.
- Determined Expression: A character looks determined.
- Disney School of Acting and Mime: Realistic, but hammy, body language.
- Disapproving Look: Giving someone an unamused glance.
- Dissonant Serenity: Someone looks and/or acts serene despite something serious or crazy going on.
- Distressed Drink Jitters: Showing anxiety via shaking hands while trying to hold a drink.
- Dope Slap: Slapping someone for saying or doing something stupid.
- Dramatic Downstage Turn: A character turns/walks towards the audience a bit to signify them as important or going through a lot emotionally.
- Dramatic Drop: A character drops something out of surprise.
- Dramatic Sit-Down: A character is so shocked that, while not unconscious, they can't stand so they sit down.
- Dull Surprise: A character ought to be surprised, but they have a blank expression instead.
- Dusting Off Your Hands: When a character slaps their hands past each other to represent satisfaction at disposing of an individual.
- Dynamic Akimbo: Heroes pose boldly with both of their hands resting on their hips and their elbows pointing outward.
- Evil Slinks: Seductive villains moving elegantly.
- Eye Am Watching You: Pointing at your eyes, then a person, to signify you're watching them.
- Eyebrow Waggle: Someone waggles their eyebrows after making a lecherous comment or a joke.
- Eyelash Fluttering: Repeatedly blinking to appear innocent or flirty.
- Eyelid Pull Taunt: Pulling a lower eyelid while sticking out the tongue to show disdain. Common in Japan, and usually portrayed as childish.
- Face, Nod, Action: Two characters face each other, nod, then perform an action.
- Facepalm: Pressing the palm of your hand against your face after seeing someone do something stupid or embarrassing.
- Facial Dialogue: A character doesn't talk but emotes with their face.
- Fainting: Passing out. Usually means the person is wearing a corset (if a woman), anemic, pregnant (again if a woman), or tired. Faint in Shock is a subtrope for passing out due to strong emotion.
- Fascinating Eyebrow: Arrogant or bemused characters raise an eyebrow.
- Fat Flex: A fat character tries to look buff by pulling up their belly fat.
- Feeling Your Heartbeat: Taking someone's hand and putting it on your chest so they can feel your heartbeat.
- Feminine Leg Swish: A character swishes their legs back and forth to highlight their girlishness and/or femininity.
- Film the Hand: Sticking one's hand over the camera so as not to be filmed.
- Finger-Forced Smile: A character physically forces themselves or another character to smile.
- Finger Framing: Making a rectangle with fingers and looking through it, associated with cameras.
- Finger-Lickin' Evil: Evil women with claws lick them.
- Finger Muzzle: Putting a finger on someone's mouth to silence them.
- Finger on Lips: Putting your finger on your mouth instead of swearing while singing a profane song.
- Finger-Tenting: Villains steeple their fingers.
- Finger Wag: Wagging one's finger to say, "No" or "Nice try".
- Fist of Rage: Someone forms fists because they're angry.
- Fist Pump: A character holds their fist to their shoulder, with the palm facing in if a man and out if a woman, to express determination or pride.
- Flexing Those Non-Biceps: Someone flexes their bicep but there's no muscle.
- Flipping the Bird: Extending your middle finger at someone to insult them.
- Flourish Cape in Front of Face: Sub-trope of Cape Swish where they bring the cape over their face.
- Frozen Face: Somebody's expression can't change because their face was injured.
- Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: Pointing your index finger at someone.
- Glasses Pull: Taking off glasses for emphasis.
- Gloved Fist of Doom: Villains making a fist while wearing gloves.
- Glove Snap: A doctor, usually a Mad Doctor, puts on gloves and snaps them.
- "Good Luck" Gesture: Crossing fingers, holding one's thumbs, doing a Thumb's Up, making a "fig sign", knocking on wood, or making a box shape with one's hands for someone to break, in order to wish someone luck or avoid bad luck.
- Greeting Gesture Confusion: Characters don't know which greeting gesture (handshake, hug, bow, kiss on cheek, etc) to use.
- Hair Flip: Flipping one's hair to display confidence or arrogance.
- Hand Behind Head: A nervous, embarrassed, uncertain, or lying character rubs the back of their neck.
- Hand on Womb: A woman resting her hand on her stomach as an early sign that she is pregnant.
- Hand Rubbing: Shifty characters rubbing their hands together.
- Handshake Refusal: A character refuses to shake hands.
- Handshake Substitute: Informal variations on a handshake.
- Hand Signals: Characters communicate with gestures and motions, usually of the hands, as opposed to using voices.
- Happy Dance: Dancing to express joy.
- Head-and-Hip Pose: A woman puts one hand on her hip and the other on her head, to look sexy.
- Headdesk: Banging one's head against something when frustrated.
- Headlock of Dominance: Someone expresses dominance by putting their opponent into a headlock.
- Held Gaze: Two lovers, friends, rivals, or souls stare at each other.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment: A character suddenly realises they're about to finally have some good luck.
- Helpless Kicking: Someone kicking or flailing their legs as they are being killed, carried away to their doom, or eaten alive.
- High-Five Left Hanging: A character wants to high-five but everyone else declines.
- Human Hummingbird: A character flailing their limbs rapidly to express excitement or fear.
- "I Can't Look!" Gesture: A character trying not to look at something horrible.
- Idiosyncratic Cultural Gesture: Gestures unique to certain cultures, real or fictional, are demonstrated in fiction.
- I Do Not Speak Nonverbal: Trying to say something using facial expressions and gestures instead of words fails.
- Ignored Raised Hand: A character wants to ask a question, but everyone ignores them.
- I Kiss Your Foot: Kissing feet.
- Italians Talk with Hands: A very animated Italian character.
- Kewpie Doll Surprise: A surprised anime woman throws her arms up like a Kewpie doll.
- Knee Fold Fall of Defeat: A dead or unconscious character who lost a fight falls knees-first.
- Kubrick Stare: Lowering your head while looking upwards, showing distaste or defiance over something.
- Leaning on the Furniture: Leaning on furniture to express casual-ness.
- Lecherous Licking: Licking someone in a pervy way.
- Licking the Blade: A villain licks a bladed weapon.
- Limp and Livid: An angry character slouches.
- Load-Bearing Hero: Heroes hold a falling object to save the members of main cast or others.
- Longing Look: Staring at one's crush.
- Looking Busy: Pretending to be busy.
- Loud Gulp: Audibly gulping to express fear.
- Lying Finger Cross: Crossing your fingers while making a promise means that you weren't sincere when you made it.
- Magical Gesture: A hand gesture required to do magic.
- Man Hug: Two best guy friends hug.
- Maniac Tongue: A villain or Anti-Hero sticks their tongue out for no reason.
- Marionette Motion: A robot, undead, etc. moves like a puppet.
- Meaningful Look: A character looks at the audience or another character meanfully.
- Mermaid Arc Emergence: A character jumping out of some water and putting their head back.
- Milking the Giant Cow: Character makes a lot of movements that involve flailing their arms around.
- Miming the Cues: A character tries to communicate with charades.
- Mischievous Body Language: A character's body language indicates that they're contemplating mischief.
- Modeling Poses: Using body language as a form of marketing.
- Nervous Tics: Anxious manners and tics that usually involve messing with one's body.
- Non-Verbal Miscommunication: Misunderstanding nonverbal communication.
- No Sense of Personal Space: A character gets way too close for comfort around others.
- Nose Tapping: A character taps their nose to show they know something.
- Not-So-Innocent Whistle: Whistling to try and look innocent.
- Obligatory Earpiece Touch: A character touches their earpiece when they receive a message.
- Oh, Crap!: A character reacts in shock to the realization that they are in big trouble right now.
- Palm on Cheek Pose: A character puts their palm(s) on their cheek(s) to express shock, embarrassment, joy, annoyance, excitement, or affection.
- Palm-Fist Tap: Tapping your palm with your fist to express inspiration.
- Peaceful in Death: A dead body with a serene expression.
- Perpetual Expression: A character hardly ever changes their expression.
- Perverted Drooling: A character drools due to perversion.
- Perverted Sniffing: A character sniffs another one, or their clothes, due to lust.
- Pose of Silence: Leaning closely or obscuring your mouth renders you inaudible to everyone else.
- Possessive Wrist Grab: Grabbing someone's wrist to show them who's boss.
- Potty Dance: A character who has to go to the bathroom dances around frantically while trying to hold it in.
- Primal Chest-Pound: A brutish character beats their chest.
- Primal Stance: Feral characters walk like gorillas.
- Primp of Contempt: Performing checks of appearance (i.e. filing nails and fixing hair) to signify disdain and/or boredom.
- Prompting Nudge: Nudging someone to get them to talk.
- Pstandard Psychic Pstance: Putting one or both hands on the head while using Psychic Powers.
- Putting On My Thinking Cap: A character has a thing that helps them think.
- Quaking with Fear: Trembling to express fear.
- Quivering Lip: As a prelude to crying, a character's lip quivers
- Quizzical Tilt: Tilting one's head in confusion.
- Rapid-Fire Nail Biting: Biting nails quickly in fear.
- Rebel Relaxation: Rebellious or shifty characters lean against things.
- Revealing Hug: A character makes a shifty expression during an insincere hug.
- Reverse Arm-Fold: Clasping hands behind your back, often associated with Asians and military personel.
- Running on All Fours: A character is a faster runner while on all fours.
- Sarcastic Clapping: Mocking someone by pretending to applaud them.
- Secret Handshake: A secret, long, specific handshake between friends.
- Secret Message Wink: Winking to secretly get a message across.
- Shy Finger-Twiddling: A shy character (or an embarrassed ditz) twiddles their fingers.
- "Silly Me" Gesture: A character hits themselves on the head, winks, and sticks their tongue out to acknowledge what they did was dumb or silly.
- Something Else Also Rises: A visual gag implying that a character is sexually aroused.
- Slow Clap: First one person claps, then gradually more people clap.
- Strange Salute: A fictional salute.
- Stroke the Beard: A character contemplates by caressing their facial hair.
- Supermodel Strut: A character struts like a supermodel to illustrate their confidence and sex appeal.
- Swing Low, Sweet Harriet: A woman on a swing, portrayed as cute or sexy.
- Team Hand-Stack: A group puts their hands together to show teamwork.
- Thinker Pose: Sitting like Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker
".
- Thinking Tic: A character has a thing they do when thinking.
- Throat-Slitting Gesture: Miming a sword with your fingers to slice your neck in half while growling, as a warning for someone to "cut it" or shut up from saying important information.
- Throw the Sheath Away: Throwing away a weapon's sheath to indicate determination or a fear of death.
- Tongue-Out Insult: Sticking out one's tongue as a means of insult.
- Traitor Shot: A character looking shifty reveals them as a future traitor.
- Troubled Fetal Position: Someone curls up into a fetal position when they're overwhelmed by their problems.
- Twisted-Knee Collapse: A character kneels with the lower legs sticking out because they're sad or tired.
- Twitchy Eye: Twitching eyes means someone is insane or angry.
- The Unblinking: A character who never blinks or ceases blinking for a particular extended period.
- Vertical Power Play: A character positions themself to appear bigger as expression of power, or smaller as an expression of submission.
- Villainous Face Hold: A villain cradles their victim's face in their hand while taunting them.
- Wall Slump: A dying character falls to the wall and slumps to the ground.
- Warding Gestures: Throwing the horns.
- White Flag: Waving a white flag to surrender.
- World's Smallest Violin: A character mocks another character's sorrow by pretending to play a tiny violin between their fingers.
- Your Mime Makes It Real: Mimes turn out to be using real objects that just happen to be invisible rather than imaginary objects.
- Zombie Gait: Zombies move around slowly and awkwardly.
Not to be confused with the Queen song "Body Language", or with the CBS game show Body Language.
