The head bobble, head wobble, or Indian head shake refers to a common gesture found in South Asian cultures, most notably in India. This form of nonverbal communication is sometimes referred to as "Indian head shake" or as travel journalist Stephan Wilkinson has described it, "a vague cock of the head." The motion usually consists of a side-to-side tilting of the head in arcs along the coronal plane. It often means a yes.
In India the gesture is common in the southern parts, but may not be used consistently all around the country.
In India, this particular headshake can also be acknowledgement or encouragement. In the Western world, people often use a nod for the same purpose. It is not always associated with yes or no, and is actually used in place of no when the person doesn't want to say no.
In Bulgaria, this is the equivalent of a nod meaning yes, whereas a quick nod up means no.
In the novel Shantaram, one of the characters discusses becoming familiar with the "head wiggle" as a visitor to Bombay.
Famous quotes containing the word head:
“Most childhood problems don’t result from “bad” parenting, but are the inevitable result of the growing that parents and children do together. The point isn’t to head off these problems or find ways around them, but rather to work through them together and in doing so to develop a relationship of mutual trust to rely on when the next problem comes along.”
—Fred Rogers (20th century)