Found this article on MSN
Is she into you? By Nina Malkin
Maybe in an alternate universe, women approach men by simply saying: “Hello! I find you ever so attractive and intriguing!” Not so much on this planet. Sure, some girls have sledgehammer flirting techniques and courting ploys, but most give off more subtle signals. And in case you’re wondering if one such lovely specimen is batting her eyes at you, here we slip you some tell-tale tip-offs.
The power of touch
Body language speaks volumes—and goes beyond the blatant hair toss. Shrugging the shoulders, flashing the wrists, massaging the neck and basically any kind of self-touching are all invitations to romance. “We stroke ourselves for two reasons,” says Tracey Cox, author of Superflirt. “To draw attention to a body part and to subconsciously tease the person watching.” So if she’s making you hot under the collar, it’s because she wants to—consider that a big green light.
Girlish antics
Dating may still feel like high school for good reason: Grown women can really regress around guys. The giggling. The blushing. The whispering to a friend from behind her hand. Her voice may even go a full octave higher. “Noticeable changes may result as one imagines the risks and rejection involved with a new interest,” says Molly Barrow, Ph.D., author of Matchlines: A Revolutionary New Way of Looking at Relationships and Making the Right Choices in Love. So take her girlish goofiness as a compliment—and don’t worry! “As the anxiety lessens, the behavior will improve,” Barrow says.
Express checkout
If a woman looks at you in a triangular pattern, going from one eye, then dipping to your mouth, chest or even lower, before traveling up to your other eye, she’s sizing you up big time. “Eye movement studies show we look at different parts of other people depending on the situation and level of attractiveness,” explains Cox. “With people we’re attracted to, the triangle broadens” to take on more of the face or body.
The Spanish inquisition
When a woman’s into you, she’ll grill you like a steak. “She’ll ask all about you—your work, your childhood, your likes and dislikes,” says Janice Hoffman, author of Relationship Rules. And if she asks about the future (for instance, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”), she’s scrutinizing your soul-mate potential. Granted, this 60 Minutes treatment tends to bother men. To counter this, ask her lots of questions—Hoffman says women can’t get enough of them as long as they’re not too personal.
Limited interruptions
Sometimes it’s what she doesn’t say that signals interest. “Refraining from interruption in conversation shows that your date has respect for you and is also probably interested in what you’re saying,” says Hoffman. So if she’s hanging onto your every word, then you’ve got her in your thrall.
Space invasion
Has she nudged her mojito closer to your beer? Resting her hand on your side of the table? Yep, she’s moving in on you. “We use our hands to signal interest by moving them into the other person’s personal space,” explains Cox. And if she’s fidgeting or fiddling with her drink, silverware, or something else on the table, even better: That means she’s got some nervous energy brewing and wants to touch you but can’t quite bring herself to span the divide just yet.
Innocent insults
Snide remarks like “Who said you could wear a shirt like that?” or “So you think you’re smart, huh?” might seem like bad news, but as long as the teasing is delivered with a smile, assume it’s playful banter. She’s dishing it out, but she most likely means the opposite—that she’s impressed by you.
Perpetual preening
Don’t mistake interest for vanity if your date seems to constantly check her reflection, fix her hair or smooth her outfit. Barrow believes these mini-grooming gestures means a woman isn’t self-obsessed but rather is just trying to look good to you.
Total recall
“Did you have that talk with your boss?” “How was the hockey game?” “Is your roommate feeling better?” If you’re hearing questions like these – follow-ups on things you mentioned recently – it’s a clear indication that your date really digs you. She remembers what you say and cares enough to inquire about what’s going on in your life.
Inconsequential contact
Before a first kiss is even on the agenda, a girl who’s hot for you will find excuses to touch you. A light slap of your knee when you say something funny, the brushing of lint off your lapel, a plucking at your sleeve—Hoffman says all these non-intimate bits of contact build trust and show she cares.
So now you know how to read between the lines and tell if a woman’s really into you. Use this information to your advantage!
Nina Malkin is the author of An Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle. For the opposite sex’s perspective, clickhere.