071
BILATERAL SHRUG
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Both shoulders rise toward the ears, often paired with raised palms and a slight head tilt.
MEANS
“I don’t know,” “I’m not sure,” or honest uncertainty.
CONTEXT
The full shrug is highly reliable. A person who makes a strong claim but bilaterally shrugs while doing so is not committed to what they are saying. The shrug betrays the claim.
NOT
A single-shoulder shrug — see entry 072.
