Image of man making the "eyelid pull" hand gesture, published by Di Jorio in 1832 in Naples, Italy

The eyelid pull is a gesture in which the finger is used to pull one lower eyelid further down, exposing more of the eyeball. This gesture has different meanings in different cultures, but in many cultures, particularly in the Mediterranean, signifies alertness, or a warning to be watchful.[1][2][3] In the Italian language, one can say occhio (eye), not necessarily with the gesture, to signify the same.[4]

In France, the gesture of pulling down one's lower eyelid and saying mon œil, or "my eye", is an expression of disdainful, dismissive disbelief.[5] In Turkey it is used similarly.[citation needed] The phrase "my eye" is an outdated expression of disbelief in the English language, although without the gesture.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ James Hall (23 October 2008). The Sinister Side: How Left-right Symbolism Shaped Western Art. OUP Oxford. pp. 99–. ISBN 978-0-19-923086-0.
  2. ^ Suzanne Ruthven (26 September 2014). Compass Points: Creating Meaningful Dialogue. John Hunt Publishing. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-1-78279-529-2.
  3. ^ Paul Hardwick (2011). English Medieval Misericords: The Margins of Meaning. Boydell Press. pp. 76–. ISBN 978-1-84383-659-9.
  4. ^ "English Translation of "occhio"". Collins Italian-English Dictionary. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  5. ^ Mon œil!
    The French expression mon œil ! is used to express either incredulous/ironic disbelief, like the English expressions "my foot!" or "yeah, right!", or an almost indignant refusal, as in "no way!" or "ain't gonna happen!"
  6. ^ Word Wizard: My eye! / My foot!
    • 1842 “Church, MY EYE, woman! church indeed!”—‘Handy Andy’ by S. Lover
    • 1905 “‘Tragic, MY EYE!’ said my friend irreverently.”—in ‘Works’ of O. Henry
    • 1928 “Gentlemen, ME EYE! You’ve got to get over being gentleman if you’re going to play football on my team!”—in ‘Sport’ by Paxton
    • 1929 ‘How about Bigelow's Mill . .. that's a factory.’ ‘Factory MY EYE.’”—‘The Sound and the Fury’ by Faulkner
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