Subject: Re: From: boebert@sctc.com (Earl Boebert) Date: 1990-11-30, 09:26 Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks alternat@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Ann Hodgins) writes: > >In article blojo@ocf.berkeley.edu writes: >> >>In article <1990Nov26.164034.1@si151a.llnl.gov>, Matt Brinkman ponders: >> >> >>> >>> In the dream >>> >>> sequence, Laura touched her nose with her right index finger. When Harry >>> >>> brings Cooper to meet the Bookhouse Boys it turns out that this same gesture >>> >>> is the secret signal of the Bookhouse Boys. Coincidence????? Hmmmmmm... >> >> > >There is a christmas poet poem, probably the night before Christmas, in which > >the jolly old elf touches his finger aside his nose and up the chimney he > >goes. It seems to have been a commonly understood sign meaning: This is a > >secret between you and I. > >This generation seems to know only the hand signs that mean: fuck you. > >Ah the poverty of modern life.! > > > >If the gesture indicates sharing a secret the then it would make sense that > >Laura would make that gesture to Cooper before whispering something (the name > >of the killer?) in his ear. And since The Bookhouse Boys are a secret society, > >their sign means shared secret also. > > > >ann hodgins Finger to the side of the nose is a common signal among (at least) carnies and con men/women and was widely publicized in the movie "The Sting." General meaning is "keep this under your hat," or "a scam is running, play it straight," as well as a general sign of recognition, e.g., a fresh shill signalling his/her status to a midway carny upon walking up to, say, the milk-bottle toss (this gets you the ball *without* the off-center weights in it). No doubt all kinds of local variations exist. I first learned it from a carny in the early 1950's (yeah, misspent youth) and my guess is that it goes *way* back; I wouldn't be surprised to find it as a stage direction in an Elizabethan play.