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cock one's head

to move one's head up, or to one side when one notices something

TRANSLATION

cock one's head = den Kopf neigen, den Kopf zur Seite werfenden, den Kopf auf die Seite legen, den Kopf zurückwerfen

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

At the defendant's table, Bernard B. Kerik COCKED HIS HEAD toward the left side of the courtroom, waiting for a door to open.

New York Times

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The most the president did was shoot confidants a meaningful look — "the way he will COCKED HIS HEAD, an exaggerated smile, like 'I'm not saying but I'm saying,'"

New York Times

Did you
know?

cock your head
noun phrase

- to tilt or turn up your head to one side, usually in a jaunty or alert manner

(American Heritage Dictionary)

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Ask any human relations professional and they will tell you one of the most important things to pay attention to during a job interview is your body language. It can say a lot without your actually saying anything.

Cocking the head, or tilting it to one side, is a natural reaction when we are interested in what someone is trying to tell us. Some interviewers may like this because it shows that the applicant is making an effort to be keenly aware of what is being said.

Other body language may not give off such positive vibrations:

- twitch one's nose = to move the nose in a jerking manner (like a rabbit). This can indicate nervousness.

- raise one's eyebrows = to move the eyebrows up. Normally an indication that we find something questionable or hard to understand.

- furrowed brows = to move the eyebrows down so that lines or wrinkles form in the forehead. Can be interpreted as a show of concern, irritation or slight anger.

- bare one's teeth = to act in an angry or threatening manner. This is used in a figurative sense and stems from the animal world. It goes without saying that baring one's teeth during an interview is a bad idea.

- cock an eyebrow = apart from the head, an eyebrow can also be cocked. This refers to glancing in a quizzical or knowing manner with a raised eyebrow.

- squint one's eyes = to try to see something more clearly by partly closing your eyes. This can indicate an attempt to concentrate or it may be interpreted as a sign of disapproval.

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Practice OWAD in a conversation today

Say something like:

"The train conductor cocked his head when I said I didn’t have a ticket."

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