Minisode 13 – GWIH: Origin of the Wink
Hello, again, Strangers! In this Guess What I Heard episode, we’re talkin’ bout winkin’! Yep, winkin’. Why do we wink? Where did it come from? What does it mean? There’s a cool backstory that goes back centuries! So join us…wink wink!
STOP! INSIDE JOKES AHEAD!
If you haven’t gotten to listen to the episode yet, spoiler alert! This post contains lots of stuff that will make waaay more sense if you listen to the episode before or while reading. So if you haven’t already, pump the brakes and listen to the episode or just click above to play so that you can be in on all the shenanigans to follow!
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Produced by Peter Woodward
WHAT'S IN A WINK?
A weird gesture...
Non-verbal communication accounts for approximately 70-90% of all communication. Body language, posture, and facial expressions give humans more information than any amount of speech. But we do some really weird non-verbal things, don’t we? One of those weird things is winking. In western culture, it’s done so often we don’t even think about it. But what a weirdo thing to do. Shut one eye at someone…
Why do we do it?
Well, let’s find out!
Whatsa wink?
Definition of wink according to Merriam-Webster:
:to shut one eye briefly as a signal or in teasing
:to close or open the eyelids quickly
Verb
Middle English, from Old English wincian; akin to Old High German winchan to stagger, wink and perhaps to Latin vacillare to sway, Sanskrit vañcati he goes crookedly
First recorded around 1100, it is actually rumored to originate from one of the legends of the Norse god, Odin!
Odin and His Eyeball
Mímir, the keeper of the well, told Odin that a great sacrifice was necessary to grant his request. And what did your boy do?
Ripped out his own eye and threw it into the well, that’s what!!
Moreover, he wasn’t done proving his point. He also threw himself onto his spear and then hanged himself in the tree of life, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nine nights.
Oof. That’s a lot. But…when he was done, he was able to gain knowledge of other worlds and understand runes. He also received visions and secret wisdom that allowed him to cure the sick, calm storms, turn weapons against his attackers, and make women fall in love with him.
While it is agreed that he was missing an eye, accounts vary on which eye he sacrificed.
But nevertheless, Odin got that secret knowledge for the price of one eye. So if you think about why we wink, it makes sense. In the western world, winking is often a conspiratorial gesture: an action that can say, for example “we both know something others don’t” or conversely “I know something you don’t know”. The shutting of the eye is an ode to Odin and his secret knowledge! Cool!
All Around the World...
But not all eyes are created equal...
Did you know that not everybody can wink?
Some can only wink with one eye and not the other. This is referred to as ocular dominance.
Others cannot wink at all. For example, it is a known fact that singer, Rihanna, cannot wink. See evidence below.
Just a people thing or...?
Winking is not exclusive to humans. As a matter of fact, dogs and cats both wink as well.
WHAT ELSE DID WE TALK ABOUT?
Dog howls, but Tony and Ezekiel...in case you haven't seen it...
Do. Not. Wink. At a Kangaroo.
STRANGE WOODS PODCAST RECOMMENDS...
Wayne's World (1992), Wayne's World 2 (1993)
Camera One, Camera Two. Camera One, Camera Two.
If you haven’t seen the documentaries following Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar…literally stop what you are doing and DO. IT.NOW. You will not regret it.
This amazing TikTok featuring a pit bull's bath routine...
"The Humans Are Dead" by Flight of the Conchords
And finally...I guess...for Jonathan..."Wink" by Neal McCoy
Now you know! We wink for a reason. And that reason is Odin. Neat. Hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Please let us know your thoughts and opinions!
So what did we learn?
Wink with caution.
Use cultural sensitivity and knowledge when exercising your right to wink.
And don’t make fun of those who cannot wink as good as you can, okay? Nobody likes a bully.
LATER, STRANGERS!
Some articles and sources:
Peter’s wife. Registered nurse. Uber-fan of The Strange Woods Podcast.
