When Did A Nod Become An Exceptable Form Of Greeting

United States
January 4, 2008 11:55am CST
When did people starting nodding in replacement of a wave or simply saying hello? What do you do - smile, nod, wave ,say hello?
4 people like this
7 responses
• United States
4 Jan 08
I only nod to people I don't like or don't want to talk to. I'm not so rude as to just ignore them. ^.^; I consider myself to be an overall friendly person, so I wave or mouth a hello if I'm in a situation where being boisterous is frowned upon. I also greet with a hug or a kiss.
2 people like this
• United States
4 Jan 08
I nod (and I hate it) also to people I don't like or want to talk to -so I understand. I hate that I say Hi instead of Hello and I have been working on it. And I love to hug people I havent seen in a while or am suprised to see at that moment. Kissing I leave for family members.
2 people like this
@SachseMom (448)
• United States
4 Jan 08
That's funny because I'm hispanic and that's all I know from my generation. My Tia's and Tio's and grandparents expect us to shake their hand and be polite when Introduced but when I hook up with my cousins it's just a nod and a "Hey"!
2 people like this
• United States
4 Jan 08
In my family it is nothing for an uncle to peck their neices and nefew on the mouth when the children are young. Sanitary not at all but they do, it's a sign of pure love and a way to convey that you are their child also. The first time my uncle pecked my son on the mouth my son was about 7 and my son turned around real red (embarassed) and said next time just nod your head. lol
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@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
5 Jan 08
I don't ever nod at people, I think its kinda weird. Like if you can't take the time to smile and raise your hand to wave, then it seems the person your greeting can't be too important can they ? I think its much better to wave and smile and if you are close enough for a simple hi how are you, then give er!
1 person likes this
@ltmoon (1008)
• United States
6 Jan 08
depends on where you are from - some places it is common courtesy to nod or bow slightly as a greeting
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@munhozmib (3837)
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
5 Jan 08
Hello! Well, many people do nod as a form of greeting. They move their head from up to down, like saying yes. I don't know how nor when this started appearing, but now it's commonly used. However, I still prefer the "Hello!" one. I almost never use the wave, though. Respectfully.
1 person likes this
@Sushicook (690)
• Sweden
4 Jan 08
Most of the time I say hello, or atleast give a wave and a smile to show the person I've seen them. The only times I nod as a greeting is when it's either a person I don't know very well (an old classmate, for example), or when I don't see the person in question until we've almost passed eachother.
2 people like this
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
4 Jan 08
I don't think this is anything new, people have been doing it forever. Think of cowboy movies of a different era, they used to just take off their hat and nod. Lots of people see it just as an acknowlegement, and a hello, without the words. I know a lot of older men who do this, and I've never seen it as disrespectful, I just see it as a silent way of saying 'hi'. For myself, I'll either smile and say hi, or wave if they're too far off to say hello without speaking loudly.
1 person likes this