While waiting at a traffic signal for the light to change from red to green, you notice that the left turn arrow changes green without the forward light changing green. Just by seeing the light change you step on the gas alittle bit and then realize that your lane is still stopped. Causing the car to flinch. Typically implies that you are alert or that you are in a rush to go somewhere. Senario may be applied vice versa.
(While second in line waiting at a traffic signal in the forward lane)
Driver: I really hope the light changes soon.
Passenger: Yeah me too.
~Left turn lane changes green, but forward light remains red~
~ Car first in line on forward lane begins to go as if the forward light was green, realizes it is still red and stops; causing the vehicle to flinch moving forward a few inches~
Driver: Whoa! Did you see that guy ahead of us!?
Passenger: Yeah! He just did a Signal Flinch!
Driver: He must be in a rush to get out of here.
Driver: I really hope the light changes soon.
Passenger: Yeah me too.
~Left turn lane changes green, but forward light remains red~
~ Car first in line on forward lane begins to go as if the forward light was green, realizes it is still red and stops; causing the vehicle to flinch moving forward a few inches~
Driver: Whoa! Did you see that guy ahead of us!?
Passenger: Yeah! He just did a Signal Flinch!
Driver: He must be in a rush to get out of here.
by Citruslump September 20, 2011
Get the Signal Flinchmug. The act of signalling exclusivity or secrecy, even when there’s no substantial reason. It mimics in-group dynamics to create a heightened sense of importance, often leaving outsiders feeling excluded, even when the content is trivial.
Super-signalling can be thought of as a kind of unintentional gaslighting. The term comes from the 1938 play Gas Light, where a man drives his wife to the brink of insanity by gradually dimming the lights in their apartment while pretending that nothing has changed.
Super-signalling operates similarly, although more subtly. There’s really nothing there, yet our very human Fear Of Missing Out is triggered. While gaslighting is deliberate, super-signalling is often unconscious—those engaging in it are likely unaware of the (super) signals they’re transmitting.
The behaviour is rampant on social media. Vague status updates, cryptic tweets, or ‘stories’ that hint at something significant without revealing any details are the digital equivalent of those whispered huddles. They tap into our instinct to belong, leaving us wondering what we’ve missed.
The same is true for airy corporate slides with conspicuous stamps of saying “CONFIDENTIAL,” when it’s apparent that they contain little of substance.
Or scientific presentations where heavy smoke screens of technical jargon obscure the fact that the subject being studied is actually quite inconsequential.
As Gertrude Stein once quipped: “There’s no there there.”
Super-signalling operates similarly, although more subtly. There’s really nothing there, yet our very human Fear Of Missing Out is triggered. While gaslighting is deliberate, super-signalling is often unconscious—those engaging in it are likely unaware of the (super) signals they’re transmitting.
The behaviour is rampant on social media. Vague status updates, cryptic tweets, or ‘stories’ that hint at something significant without revealing any details are the digital equivalent of those whispered huddles. They tap into our instinct to belong, leaving us wondering what we’ve missed.
The same is true for airy corporate slides with conspicuous stamps of saying “CONFIDENTIAL,” when it’s apparent that they contain little of substance.
Or scientific presentations where heavy smoke screens of technical jargon obscure the fact that the subject being studied is actually quite inconsequential.
As Gertrude Stein once quipped: “There’s no there there.”
by SlowThinker October 26, 2024
Get the Super-signallingmug. by Dave720 October 18, 2021
Get the Signal 20mug. by S7ava June 9, 2016
Get the Gaping signalsmug. When a person (usually a female) who is stuck up/snobby is encountered by a person that they don’t want around them for any reason (not attracted to/annoying/etc.) And the person is bothered by them, and she/he begins “Simp Signaling” the nearest Simp closest to them for help, even if their plea for help is unnecessary, and is usually resolves by telling the bothering person to go away, but instead decides to involve a Signaled Simp to resolve the situation with the unwanted person. “Leave her alone man! She doesn’t like you!!.”
The preppy cheerleader chick was Simp Signaling one of the party simps to tell the brave band geek who was indirectly invited to the party to leave her alone, because he tried to flirt with her.
by EmilCas1 October 17, 2022
Get the Simp Signalingmug. slang for when a rat or narc starting pointing at others or turns on them as if they were pivoting around in a circle and pointing...
by Richard Cranium Sr. January 7, 2021
Get the turn signalsmug. 