The cues

The famous ones score low.

TELL names three hundred and seventy-eight cues and scores three hundred and sixty-five of them out of five, for how much one of them is worth on its own. Twenty are set out here: the seven the reading on the front page uses, eight that people are surest about, and five that reach the top of the scale.

Crossed arms, which everybody has been told means defensive, is a two. Gaze aversion, which everybody has been told means lying, is a two. Nose rubbing is a two. The reasons are printed under each one and they are not hedges. A cold room produces folded arms within minutes, and many people fold them because the chair has no armrests. The eye belief fails in testing, because plenty of liars hold your gaze longer rather than shorter.

A two is not useless. It is a cue that is not evidence on its own, and most of what gets repeated about body language is made of those. Five of these reach the top of the scale, so it is clear the scale has one.

The reading

arms

2 cues

Regions The reading

ARM-001

2 of 5thin evidence

Crossed arms

Both arms fold across the front of the torso, each hand coming to rest on or near the opposite arm or tucking against the ribs. The forearms form a horizontal bar at chest or stomach height. Pressure ranges from a loose drape to a firm clamp, and the position can hold for seconds or the better part of an hour.

Reads wrong when

Cold rooms produce the identical posture within minutes
Many people fold their arms simply because chairs lack armrests
As a resting habit it often carries no emotional signal at all

ARM-017

2 of 5thin evidence

Object barrier

A carried object — bag, laptop, clipboard, cushion, menu — rides high against the chest or stomach, held with one or both arms wrapped over it rather than dangling at the side. The object stays between the holder and other people even when a table or shoulder is available to park it.

Reads wrong when

Crowds, theft-wary travel, and heavy bags all justify chest carrying
Habit carries over: many people hug folders everywhere, at ease or not

In the reading, ARM-017

eyebrows

1 cue

Regions The reading

BROW-001

5 of 5

Eyebrow flash

Both eyebrows shoot upward together and drop back down within roughly a fifth of a second. The eyes widen briefly as the brows peak, and the head often tips back a few degrees at the same instant. The whole event is faster than most blinks and usually happens at the moment two people first make eye contact across a distance.

Reads wrong when

Also fired at near-strangers as polite acknowledgment, not only at people someone truly likes
So fast it is routinely missed at distance or in low light

eyes

3 cues

Regions The reading

EYE-005

2 of 5thin evidence

Gaze aversion

Mid-interaction, the eyes swing away from the other person and settle on a neutral point — the table, a wall, the middle distance — and return only briefly or not at all. The head may follow the eyes or stay facing forward while only the gaze departs.

Reads wrong when

In many cultures lowered gaze toward elders or authority is respect, not avoidance
People routinely look away simply to think
The folk belief that liars cannot hold eye contact fails in testing — many deceivers over-hold gaze

EYE-041

1 of 5thin evidence

Recall gaze break

Mid-answer, the eyes disengage from the listener and slide up, sideways, or down into empty space while the person retrieves a thought, returning once the words are found. The break lasts one to several seconds and recurs at each effortful point in the account.

Reads wrong when

The popular map of 'looking left means lying, right means remembering' has repeatedly failed testing — direction is idiosyncratic
Absence of any breaks can simply mean an easy or rehearsed answer
Reading deception from gaze direction is folklore, not evidence

EYE-043

5 of 5

Welling eyes

A line of moisture thickens along the lower lids until the eyes take on a glassy shine, sometimes trembling at the lash line without spilling. Blinking quickens, the person may look up or away to keep the film in place, and the voice often thickens in the same moment.

Reads wrong when

Wind, allergies, yawning, and onions wet eyes mechanically
Overwhelming joy and pride produce the identical shine with opposite meaning

feet

3 cues

Regions The reading

FEET-002

4 of 5

Foot pointing away

During a face-to-face exchange, one foot — often followed by the second — rotates away from the conversation partner and settles aimed at a doorway, aisle, or open space. The upper body may remain fully turned toward the other person, producing a visible twist between hips and feet. The angle persists rather than correcting itself.

Its absence is calledfeet squared

Reads wrong when

A television, buffet, or arriving friend in that direction can draw a foot for innocent reasons
Tight standing groups force odd angles on everyone

In the reading, FEET-002

FEET-005

3 of 5

Ankle locking

One ankle crosses tightly over or behind the other and presses in, so the two feet form a single braided unit. Seated, the locked pair often retreats under the chair; standing, the free foot's toe may rest on the floor behind the planted foot. Muscle tension is visible at the ankles and calves, and the lock can hold for many minutes without adjustment.

Reads wrong when

Many people, especially those taught formal posture, cross their ankles as neutral etiquette
Long sits produce ankle crosses purely for comfort rotation

In the reading, FEET-005

FEET-006

5 of 5

Foot freeze

Feet that had been moving — bouncing, wiggling, swinging — stop abruptly and hold completely still, often mid-rhythm. The stillness arrives within a beat of a specific word or event and can last from seconds to the rest of the conversation. Frequently the whole lower body locks with it, ankles drawing in slightly.

Reads wrong when

Concentration, a task change, or settling into a position can stop foot movement.
The pause does not establish stress; compare the preceding movement and what happens next.

hands

2 cues

Regions The reading

HAND-034

2 of 5thin evidence

Object fidgeting

The hands repetitively manipulate a small object — clicking a pen, spinning a phone face-down on the table, rolling a lighter over the knuckles, folding and refolding a napkin corner. The manipulation runs in cycles for minutes and continues without the eyes ever checking the object. The rest of the posture may look fully attentive.

Reads wrong when

Fidgeting can be habitual or accompany concentration.
Rate changes do not establish distress or its absence.

HAND-048

1 of 5thin evidence

Limp handshake

The offered hand arrives slack — fingers only, no palm contact, negligible squeeze — and withdraws quickly, sometimes before the pump completes. The wrist stays loose so the hand flops rather than grips. The arm often extends only partway, making the other person close the distance.

Reads wrong when

In many cultures a soft handshake is the polite default and a hard one is the offense
Arthritis, injury, and hand-dependent professionals protecting their hands all shake softly
Germ-averse people minimize contact on principle — this cue barely rises above noise

hips

1 cue

Regions The reading

HIP-003

4 of 5

Pelvic orientation

The pelvis rotates until the belt line squarely faces one particular person or the nearest exit, even when the head and chest are aimed elsewhere. The hip bones and belt buckle work like a compass needle. The alignment can persist unchanged for an entire conversation.

Reads wrong when

Furniture and crowd geometry can force an angle
Some people square themselves to whoever is loudest, not whoever they favor

In the reading, HIP-003

legs

2 cues

Regions The reading

LEG-002

2 of 5thin evidence

Leg cross away

Seated, one thigh crosses the other so the raised knee points away from the companion, presenting the side of the thigh as a low wall between the two bodies. The upper body often rotates a few degrees in the same direction, and the crossing arm may settle on the raised leg.

Reads wrong when

Preferred side, clothing, and seating affect the direction of a cross.
Timing can help describe a re-cross; it does not establish a closed mind.

LEG-014

3 of 5

Walking pace change

Mid-walk, the stride changes: steps quicken, shorten, slow, lengthen, or halt before resuming. Compare the shift with the walker's preceding rhythm, and check for changes in the path, task, or surroundings.

Reads wrong when

Phones, remembered errands, and uneven pavement all interrupt stride innocently
Only meaningful measured against the walker's own rhythm seconds earlier

In the reading, LEG-014

lips

1 cue

Regions The reading

LIP-001

5 of 5

Lip compression

The lips press together into a firmer, thinner line, and the margins whiten where the pressure is greatest. The corners stay neutral or angle slightly down, and the jaw often tightens with them. Intensity runs from a soft momentary press to a hard sustained seal.

Its absence is callednothing pressed

Reads wrong when

Plain physical effort — lifting, threading a needle — presses lips too
Brief presses punctuate normal speech planning without emotional load

mouth

1 cue

Regions The reading

MOUTH-019

4 of 5

Long exhale

A deep inhale followed by one long, audible blow of air out through loosely open or slightly rounded lips. The cheeks may hollow and the shoulders visibly drop as the breath empties. It typically arrives seconds after a tense situation resolves.

Reads wrong when

Exertion and deliberate breath regulation can produce a long exhale.
The exhale does not prove emotional tension existed or identify its cause.

In the reading, MOUTH-019

neck

2 cues

Regions The reading

NECK-003

4 of 5

Throat covering

The palm or the backs of the fingers come to rest against the front of the throat, below the chin, and stay for a beat or longer. Sometimes the fingers loosely encircle the throat like a collar. The elbow usually stays tucked, keeping the whole gesture small and close to the body.

Its absence is calledthroat open

Reads wrong when

A sore throat, clothing, or a pendant can draw a hand to the front of the neck.
Contact during questioning does not establish distress or a lie.

In the reading, NECK-003

NECK-001

5 of 5

Suprasternal notch touching

Fingertips rise to the small hollow at the base of the front of the neck, between the collarbones, and either rest there lightly or cover it with the flat of the fingers. The touch may last a second or settle in for the rest of a difficult conversation. Some people grip the hollow between thumb and fingers rather than covering it flat.

Its absence is callednotch clear

Reads wrong when

Jewelry, clothing, sensation, and habit can bring fingers to this hollow.
Contact does not establish distress, even when it follows a difficult topic.

nose

1 cue

Regions The reading

NOSE-004

2 of 5thin evidence

Nose rubbing

A hand rises and the finger pads rub across the tip or along one side of the nose, one to several passes, before the hand returns to rest. Pressure ranges from a light drag to a firm knead. It often happens mid-sentence or right after a pointed question.

Reads wrong when

Itches, allergies, colds, and habit can produce nose rubbing.
A touch during questioning does not establish stress or certify a lie.

torso

1 cue

Regions The reading

TORSO-012

1 of 5thin evidence

Supported recline

The torso rests back against the chair with full contact, muscles slack, arms loose on the rests or in the lap, and breathing slow and low. The angle is open rather than twisted, and the position arrives gradually and persists across topics rather than snapping into place on any one remark.

Reads wrong when

Nearly indistinguishable from disengagement without supporting cues
Chair design dictates recline more than mood does
A default posture for many people, meaningless on its own

Seven of these, read off one dinner.

The front page takes the second scene of chapter one and reads it off the body, one cue at a time, in the order the scene sets them down.

TELL is a noir in four acts about a man who is perfect with words and cannot read a room. The reading is one hour of it, the evening his four year relationship ends while he takes notes on the wine.

The reading, one dinner at a corner table

Twenty-eight chapters are finished. The first one is open.