# Are You a Winker? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413 "2014-04-18T13:06:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/1 "2014-04-18T13:06:46Z")
To whom and under what circumstances? What’s your reaction when someone winks at you? I do so on occasion. It’s a delicate gesture that you have to be careful not to overuse. Probably the one time I’ll wink is when I say something mildly amusing that only one other person seems to get. Generally I’m not on the receiving end of too many winks other than the scenario above but I’m always o.k. with it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/2 "2014-04-18T13:26:24Z")
I don’t wink. I can’t pull it off, but I do love a well timed wink from others, especially good looking men. But it has to be right! You can’t just wink and think it works. ETA I do raise an eyebrow just right. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/3 "2014-04-18T13:30:25Z")
Yes, but very rarely. Generally to indicate an inside joke or a simpatico. By the way, OP, your user name can be rearranged to spell: Am Wink Lot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/4 "2014-04-18T13:37:20Z")
Undoubtedly, yes. Oh, you said w_I_nker! Then no, no I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/5 "2014-04-18T13:40:43Z")
How funny you should ask. I winked at someone last night for probably the first time ever, and as I did it, I thought, _Hey I didn’t even know I could!_ ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/6 "2014-04-18T14:09:31Z")
I wink all the time, in the smarmiest, most post-ironic way possible. Sometimes I point the finger gun while I do it. I’m halfway to Buddy Christ. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/7 "2014-04-18T15:07:36Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > By the way, OP, your user name can be rearranged to spell: Am Wink Lot. > 😉 [johnnycarson]I did not know that.[/johnnycarson] ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/8 "2014-04-18T16:39:57Z")
Wanker is the closest I get. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/9 "2014-04-18T16:50:14Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > I wink all the time, in the smarmiest, most post-ironic way possible. Sometimes I point the finger gun while I do it. I’m halfway to Buddy Christ. That’s awesome! I don’t wink, and I don’t care much for it. I kind of want to slap people when they wink at me - “Yeah, I got your joke; I just didn’t think it was very funny.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/10 "2014-04-18T17:05:02Z")
Sometimes I do a half-wink sort of thing because I can be pretty deadpan and then realize that I want the person to know I am joking. I cringe when I do it though! ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/11 "2014-04-18T17:35:58Z")
I like getting winked at, but I think only older non-creepy men can pull it off. I’m a young woman and no, I don’t wink because I could never pull it off. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/12 "2014-04-18T19:10:43Z")
I’m a young(ish) woman, and I wink because I do think I can pull it off. But I only wink at friends and fond acquaintances, and only after teasing them affectionately. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/13 "2014-04-18T19:25:03Z")
Somehow, “winker” just doesn’t seem to mean what it seems to mean. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/14 "2014-04-18T20:21:39Z")
nudge ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/15 "2014-04-18T20:45:13Z")
I taught myself to wink with either eye. I use it with stupid people to signal that I am joking, the wink where you raise your eyebrows, turn your head, and open your mouth wide. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/16 "2014-04-18T20:50:27Z")
I can’t wink or raise one eyebrow but I can do an Elvis Pressley snerl. I like it when other people do. There’s not enough winking going on in this world. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/17 "2014-04-18T21:12:21Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Somehow, “winker” just doesn’t seem to mean what it seems to mean. 🙂 Wait, it is that my eye will stick that way, or that I’ll go blind? ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/18 "2014-04-19T03:49:00Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I like getting winked at, but I think only older non-creepy men can pull it off. I’m a young woman and no, I don’t wink because I could never pull it off. Well, as I noted in your announcement thread, I would have been winking at you a lot. Then again, we’re on opposite ends of the country. I’ve always been able to wink with either eye, but I don’t think I intentionally wink any more. The odd thing is that when I’m really laughing heartily at something one of my eyes tends to close so it looks like I’m holding a wink throughout my laugh. I often wonder if the other guys around me think I’m trying to make sure they know it’s a joke. –G! Never trust the sincerity of a man whose belly does not roll when he laughs …–attributed to Confucius ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/19 "2014-04-19T03:49:31Z")
I literally am not ABLE to wink at all. This bums me out, because I’d be all about doing the intentionally cheesy wink in tons of situations. I try and try, and the best I can do is having one eye open a teeny sliver while the other one has to be at least slightly squinched, so I look totally blotto. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413/20 "2014-04-19T10:07:56Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > nudge Say no more! My mother used to wink at me when I was younger, as a sign of reassurance. I never really felt comfortable doing it myself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-winker/686413.md?page=2)