The photos of McCain’s weird lizard tongue Eli posted below are completely creepy, for sure. They’re also a known “tell” called the Tongue Jut. Professional poker players look for this behavior.
Tongue-jutting behavior is a gesture used by people who think they have gotten away with something or are “caught” doing something. I have seen this behavior in flea markets both in the United States and in Russia, among street vendors in Lower Manhattan, at poker tables in Las Vegas, and in business meetings. In each case, the person made the gesture – tongue between the teeth without touching the lips – at the conclusion of some sort of a deal or as a final nonverbal statement.
This behavior has several meanings – depending on specific situations – but is usually associated with one of these: I got caught (taking candy from a drawer), gleeful excitement (look at what I just did, Mom), I got away with something (and I didn’t get caught), I did something foolish, or I am naughty. At the poker table, watch people showing a tongue jut when they get you to commit to the pot and they have the nuts. It shows up all the time. I have also seen players who make big laydowns perform the same action.
UPDATE: Here’s a video fivethirtyeight.com put together of McCain’s tongue juts during the first debate.
via Sean Quinn at fivethirtyeight.com
I despise McCain, I really do. But McCain’s tongue thing, while totally bizarre, was a “whoops” moment – he went to his right to shake Bob Schieffer’s hand, and Bob moved the opposite way. Then they reversed. It was a little dance, and the tongue was, I believe, an “oops we look like idiots” face of exasperation. Weird? Yes. Stupid looking? Yes. A tell? I’m not convinced.
The dumbest moment of the debate had to be the question about “By how much would you reduce dependence on foreign oil?”
McCain delivered a succinct specific answer: cut out the midEast and Venezuela.
What does Obama do? Start off his response by saying “cut own the midEast and Venezuela”?
Obama spends his life just copying everything McCain says!
Bah, he just needs chapstick.
GUYS I REALLY LIKE THE TONGUE GAG SHOTS. IT MAKES ME FEEL CLOSE TO MCCAIN. WHAT A GOOFBALL, Y’KNOW???
what freaks me out re: mccain is all his quick blinking. w/ all his tongue-jutting, is he part reptile?
Stefan, the tongue jut issue is not what’s going on in the picture.
Although, I’m not sure I buy it either.
ick. i couldn’t watch that.
Leave Senator McCain alone! He can’t help it–the tongue flick is just the way he smells.
Okay, I confess, it’s all my fault–I fed McCain peanut butter right before the debate.
Michelle Obama tongue-juts a lot, too. I remember noticing that during her last Larry King interview.
I really don’t buy most body-language theories — John and Michelle probably just have dry lips.
I just thought it was an indication of the lower-brain (lizard) source of most of McCain’s “policies.”
Maybe he’s a sleestak?
the man is talking on and on and on
i think the tongue thing is just a moistening of the lips b/c all the hot air coming in and out
as much as i can’t stand the man, i don’t think his juts are secret “oooh i get away with everything” movements
he’s just parched
If you look closely, Amy, most of the tongue jabs never touch his lips. He’s not moistening, he’s communicating.
this is a pretty asinine topic for discussion, people lick their lips all the time when their speaking. if mccain were just sitting there constantly flicking his tongue it would be weird, but public speaking takes the moisture out of your mouth. plus he’s really old.
Obama drank water during the debate. McCain didn’t.
Is it something to do with his dentures?
Fnarf, if that were true, why did he do the telling tongue jut while he was simply thanking the university for hosting? There were plenty of those examples where he wasn’t giving anything away, and a quick lip-lick was more likely. It’s also a much, much more common tick than tongue jutting. I’ve never even heard of tongue jutting before this post.
I’ll turn it back to you, Emily, and ask, if your theory is correct, how you explain the many, many tongue juts McCain executed that did not touch either of his lips? Just straight out and back in. Maybe it’s not a tell. But what is it, then? Carrma @8 has the obvious answer.