[[quoteright:259:[[Series/{{Monk}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vertical4_3244.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:259:{{Rainman}} at work.]]

Facial expressions and physical gestures as idioms. Some of these were invented for television, some came from the wild, but TV certainly gives them extra attention -- it's a big way that TV differs from the stage.

Things like [[Franchise/StarTrek Spock's]] [[FascinatingEyebrow "Fascinating" eyebrow-raise]], the wide eyes of surprise, the "these people are crazy" eye-roll, the scoff of derision, the furrowed brow of anger, the other kind of furrowed brow of concentration, and the lip-curl of disgust.

Animation has its own pile of these, like bulging or heart-shaped eyes, or {{Anime}}'s [[TheSweatDrop sweat drop of embarrassment]].

These are distinct from {{Reaction Shot}}s, which have a narrower and more specific meaning.

When it's a character in a video game performing the action over and over because the developers programmed a perfectly good action and want to get as much out of it as possible, it's GoingThroughTheMotions.

A subtrope of BodyLanguage. TwitchyEye is a specific type of character tic used to convey anxiety, rage, or impending psychosis. For specific gestures done while deep in thought, see ThinkingTic. For the verbal version, see VerbalTic.
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Gendo Ikari's so-called "[[ClaspYourHandsIfYouDeceive Gendo Pose]]" in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': sitting with his elbows on a table, fingers interlaced and hands in front of his mouth (thereby preventing anyone from seeing his expression unless looking from below).
** Thereby saving the animators from having to draw his lips.
*** Also couples with his shiny glasses hiding his eyes. Hiding the lips hides pretty much all chance of reading his expression. Not that he's particularly expressive under normal circumstances.
** Gendo also pushes up his glasses, as if to add a non-verbal '...dumbass' to the end of his sentence. This also has the side-effect of making him seem more suspect; in a real life example of this trope, many people will cover their mouths somewhat when lying (without knowing it), and many other people will pick up on that (usually subconsciously). Of course, some people just scratch their nose from time to time, unintentionally invoking this.
** Also, Shinji has a habit of clenching and unclenching his hand when anxious. It's possibly a tic in the actual psychological sense, due to [[spoiler:the very real pain and trauma caused to him when his HumongousMecha had its arm ripped off]].
* ''Anime/{{Monster}}'': Inspector Lunge's most distinguishing feature is his habit of moving his fingers as though he were typing, which helps him memorize information verbatim.
* Pretty much anything L does in ''Manga/DeathNote'', Near's hair-twirling and playing with toys, and Mello's maniacal chocolate-eating.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. Envy has a very distinctive [[SlasherSmile grin]], which lets us recognize him when he's transformed into someone.
* Miki of ''RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' and his seemingly random stopwatch usage. He did it so often that fans had asked [[WordOfGod Ikuhara]] just why the hell did Miki keep timing things? Naturally, Ikuhara gave one of his infamous [[ShrugOfGod non-answers]].
** Also, the protagonist is an athletic girl who will do random stretches in the middle of conversations.
* Haruhi from ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'' has her famous "hairflick". This is only portrayed in the anime.
** Kyon's "frown and sigh", which he tends to do a lot.
** Don't forget Kyon's infamous FacePalm tendency.
** Itsuki's hand gestures when explaining something, as if he's conducting the listeners' thoughts in concert with his own.
* Klahadore (Captain Kuro) from ''Manga/OnePiece'' had a rather distinctive way of adjusting his glasses. Most characters wrote it off, but his old crewmate Jango understood exactly why he [[RetiredBadass still pushed his glasses up with the palm of his hand]].
** The odd little dance Chopper does whenever he's denying feeling pleased with being praised. WordOfGod says it was based on a RealLife comedy routine.
** Camie the mermaid's distinctive face fault. It's...hard to describe. Her eyes bug out, her teeth jut out, her jaw seems to unhinge, and her tongue looks huge and hangs out.
** Bon Clay has a unique facial expression, a wide grin with one eye squinting and the other wide, which gives him away when disguised.
* Lelouch from ''Anime/CodeGeass'' is well-known among anime fans for his propensity for dramatic poses, but he seems particularly fond of hand gestures that draw attention to his left eye (the one that holds his EvilEye powers). A good example of this can be seen in the first opening for the show's second season.
** C. C. can often be found noshing on [[TrademarkFavoriteFood pizza]] or lying down, oftentimes cradling her stuffed Cheese-kun doll.
* Deconstructed in Part 4 of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure: Diamond is Unbreakable''. Miyamoto, the user of the Stand ''Enigma'' can trap and fold anything in paper, but in order to trap a person he first needs to identify their specific "nervous tic". Obviously, he's scarily good at figuring them out.
* The heroine of ''{{Gokusen}}'' is a [[MafiaPrincess Yazuka Princess]], and thus while she isn't a TattooedCrook herself, has picked up the gesture of raising her sleeve to show (nonexistent in her case) tattoos when aggravated.
* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Ash in some parts of the series would flip his NiceHat from front to back whenever he gets serious in a battle.
** Drew has a very noticeable habit of flicking his bangs out of this face. He probably does this about twice an episode when he appears.
* In Manga/{{Naruto}}, we have Gai and Rock Lee's thumbs ups, Manly Poses, and Youthful Grins; Kakashi's happy eye-arch; Iruka's blushing and scar-scratching; Sakura shoving her fist in the air; Ino sticking her tongue out; Shikamaru slumping his shoulders; Tsunade biting her thumb; Kabuto pushing up his glasses; Hinata finger twiddling; Naruto and [[spoiler:Kushina]] scratching the back of their heads; Gaara crossing his arms...
* In the manga version of ''Manga/BattleRoyale'', [[MartialPacifist Hiroki Sugimura]] has a tendency to tap his nose when he doesn't know what to say. Lampshaded by his friend Takako Chigusa.
* Ryuuji from ''LightNovel/{{Toradora}}'' tugs at his bangs in a characteristic way whenever he's shy, embarrassed, uncertain, or thinking.
* In the anime version of ''Manga/KOn'', Mio always holds her guitar pick in her mouth and flips her hair back over her shoulder before she starts playing her bass.
* Ulquiorra from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' constantly keeps his hands in his pockets and only fights hand-to-hand, to a point where it's lampshaded when he's serious about fighting via drawing his sword. One has to wonder what would happen if he didn't have pockets. According to Grimmjow, he also strikes his "prey" in the location of his Hollow Hole. Grimmjow himself would often flex his fingers like claws or grin maniacally. Nnoitra had a large...distinctive grin, and would often stick his tongue out. Hisagi, and presumably Tosen, always stand so that they can quickly take a step backwards. Halibel stood with her arms crossed. Unohana closes her eyes when she smiles. Yamamoto and Gin only open their eyes when serious.
* ''Literature/{{Hyouka}}'''s Oreki Houtarou has a habit of playing with his forelock when he's thinking particularly hard about a case.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Given the way comic-book physics work, there is no possible way {{Superman}} (or any other hero, for that matter) ''needs'' to [[UpUpAndAway raise one arm]] when he takes flight. Yet... [[RuleOfCool it looks cool]].
* There is plenty of evidence that Professor X, Jean Grey, and all the various {{telepath|y}}s of the ComicBook/{{X-Men}} books can use their [[PsychicPowers mental powers]] without pressing their fingers to their temples (and optionally extending one hand) - doing so would appear to be the telepathic equivalent of sticking your tongue out the corner of your mouth while aiming at a target: it just feels like it helps, even though it serves no purpose.
* ComicBook/{{X-Men}} villain (and sometimes [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor ally]]) {{Magneto}} appears to reflexively extend his hands to guide his magnetic powers (one hand for minor uses, both for really big stuff). It clearly isn't necessary, though, as he will occasionally remain motionless when using his powers for intimidation purposes, presumably a conscious decision to imply that a foe is beneath his notice. There has been evidence that he can use his powers better when using his hand, but like the example below, it's probably just to help him focus.
* Superhumanly agile characters like {{Spider-man}} and [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Nightcrawler]] will often [[http://www.just-marvel-x-men.com/image-files/uncanny-x-men-411-nightcrawler-teleports-1-50k.jpg crouch]] or even drop to [[http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/spidey_crouch_640w.jpg all-fours]] for no reason other than because it looks [[RuleOfCool dynamic]] and to show off how flexible they are.
* {{Batman}} uses StealthHiBye a lot.
** He also tends to...''loom'' at every available opportunity.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* Jack T. Robot of ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' will lean on ''anything'' when standing still. This apparently includes [[MindScrew his own leg.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* Dr. Evil from ''AustinPowers'' raising his pinky finger to his mouth.
* The infamous juggling in ''TheCaineMutiny''.
* ''Film/{{Robocop}}'' has several trademark gestures:
** The gun twirl, trademark of ShowWithinAShow character T.J. Lazer, which is how his partner recognized him after his death and cyborg makeover.
** The driving style. Robocop's pull out scrapes the bottom of his car as it did before his cyborg makeover.
* JamesBond
** Bond's infamous hypnobrow of doom.
** Boris Grishenko, EvilGenius for the BigBad of ''Film/GoldenEye'', had a habit of constantly twirling his pens and clicking on them when he's working or nervous. Bond has a pen that operates as a grenade, armed by clicking three times, disarmed by clicking three times. [[ChekhovsGun You do the math]].
** In ''Film/CasinoRoyale'', Le Chiffre tends to place his fingers on his temple when he lies or bluffs, to still his nervous twitch [[spoiler:(a minor plot point).]] Also, when particularly stressed, his medical condition- leaking blood from his left tear duct- kicks in.
** Elliot Carver, of ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', tends to outstretch his arms in a "You See" motion when making his grand speeches.
* ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'': Sir Bedivere habitually lifts up the visor of his helmet.
* In ''Film/BackToTheFuture'', [=Marty McFly=] sleeps on either his side or his stomach with an arm behind his back.
* The ''Film/HarryPotter'' films
** The Voldemort neck roll that Harry takes on when their minds are melded.
** Hermione's eyebrows dancing up and down with every syllable, sometimes getting out of sync with each other. EmmaWatson even does this when she's not acting, making it more of an actor tic, though she has managed to tone it down somewhat in the later films.
** And there is also Crouch Jr's lip-licking, which is what made his father realize that his son is impersonating Mad-Eye Moody.
* ''InfernalAffairs'' has a couple of trademark tics that are actually plot-relevant: Yan's habit of tapping his fingers on things and Ming's of tapping objects he's holding against his leg.
* In ''TheSting'', Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) has many tics, including the way he holds a cup of coffee and the way he throws one shoulder back.
* In the ''OceansEleven'' movies, Rusty is eating something in almost every scene.
* In ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' Jareth frequently contact juggles a crystal ball.
* Madison in ''Film/{{Splash}}'' tends to bite her lower lip when thinking or embarrassed.
* In ''RoadToPerdition'', psychopathic hitman Harlan Maguire (Jude Law) has a habit of twirling a coin over his fingers in boredom or frustration. Pretty tame when you consider his other hobbies...
* Captain Jack Sparrow of the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' films runs with his arms in the air, flailing them as he runs. This has been dubbed "the lizard run" by fans of the series.
* In many of the older ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' movies, Godzilla often slams his fist into his palm as he walks.
* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker from ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' licks his lips while he talks a lot. WordOfGod states that this was a result of HeathLedger being annoyed by the feeling of the scar prosthetics and unconsciously licking at them because of it and after seeing him do it a few times with the full make-up and finding it seriously creepy, they decided to just make it part of the character.
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''; Bane constantly is grasping the lapels of whatever outfit he's currently wearing. This is seen when Selina looks back at him before deciding to jump into the Bat, and also when he and his mercenaries are holding the Wayne Enterprises board hostage, among others.
** Judging from the climax, this is probably in anticipation of needing to remove his jacket and start busting heads.
* [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Oliver Hardy]] twiddles his tie whenever he was frustrated.
** Stan Laurel would fiddle with his hair from the top and whimper when upset.
* Hilbert of ''Film/FermatsRoom'' would correct the other characters' grammar when they wrote on the chalkboard, adding accent marks (particularly over the letter 'o').
* In ''Film/SecretWindow'', Mort's habit of opening his mouth and clicking his jaw, [[spoiler:which occurs more and more often as he becomes more and more unhinged.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* LoisMcMasterBujold's [[Literature/VorkosiganSaga Miles Vorkosigan]] (who's just slightly self-conscious about his height) tends to lift his chin defensively when under stress, especially in the earlier books.
* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
** Nynaeve often tugs her braid when she's agitated. And she is often agitated. About halfway through the series she decides this habit isn't dignified enough for someone who is supposed to be [[spoiler:a Yellow Aes Sedai ''and'' Queen of Malkier]]. So now, whenever she's annoyed, she pauses and makes a visible effort to ''not'' tug her braid.
** Most of the female characters smooth their skirts when they're nervous.
** Thom knuckles his mustaches while thinking, Balwer dry washes his hands, Perrin scratches his beard, Julin removes his cap, crumples it, then puts it back on again. The series is rather swamped with character tics.
* In the book ''Children of {{Dune}}'', the late Baron used to tap his fingers in a certain way. This is ''not'' genetic, and when one of his descendants does it, it's significant.
* Bella Swan from ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' often bites her lower lip, a trait she shares with KristenStewart.
* Narrator HuckleberryFinn remarks that TomSawyer, in the lesser-known MarkTwain novel ''Tom Sawyer, Detective'', has a habit of tracing the letter V on his cheek or chin when he's thinking deeply.
* In the first book of the ''SwordOfTruth'' series, both Richard and Darken Rahl have their ticks. Richard runs his hands through his hair when gets nervous or exasperated, while Rahl licks his fingers and runs them over his lips and eyebrows habitually. Richard's tic [[spoiler:clues Zedd in that the "Darken Rahl" they see is not, in fact, Darken Rahl, but he realizes it a moment too late.]]
* In ''ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'', Violet always ties back her hair when she's inventing something.
* In Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''[[Literature/IRobot Powell and Donovan]]'' stories, Powell tends to pull at his mustache when he's nervous, whereas Donovan [[MessyHair runs his fingers through his hair]]. In "Catch That Rabbit!" Powell even reaches for the mustache while wearing a space suit.
* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels, Lord Vetinari raises one eyebrow when he's faced with something ''particularly'' stupid, usually in conjunction with a deeply ironic remark. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''Discworld/MakingMoney'', where Vetinari-wannabe Cosmo Lavish ''practices'' his eyebrow raising.
* ''FlightOfTheIntruder'' gives us Lt. [[IronicNickname Cool Hand]] Grafton, who suffers from stress-related palsy when he's not flying.
* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''
** Arya often chews on her lip.
** Stannis Baratheon keeps his jaw clenched and grinds his teeth.
** After an incident in the first book, Jon frequently flexes his wounded hand.
* Aomamae in Haruki Murakami's "[[OneQEightyFour 1Q84]]" is described as having beautiful facial features that, upon frowning or grimacing, make a "shocking transformation [that] terrified anyone who saw it..." She even uses this as a psychological weapon against men whom she wants to leave her alone.
* Anastasia of ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey'' is prone to flushing and blushing.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''{{Glee}}'''s Kurt Hummel almost always fixes his hair while singing a high note, and always sits with his legs crossed.
* ''TheDickVanDykeShow'' did it with Dick's famous "now I'm drunk, now I'm sober" schtick.
* ''CSIMiami'' must be eligible for Horatio Caine's habit of putting his hands on his hips while wearing sunglasses. And his habit of [[GlassesPull putting on sunglasses for dramatic pronouncements]]. Or, if he's already wearing them, adjusting them. Or ''taking them off, and putting them on again a moment later''.
** And let's not forget that he never kneels like a normal person, he always gets down on one knee, as if to propose. (Granted, it's an easier position to get up from when you're only going to be kneeling for about five seconds, but Horatio kneels a ''lot''.)
* Giles from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had a tic related to his glasses. He would [[TheGlassesComeOff take them off or put them on]] with essentially ''every'' emotional "beat" (eventually, this was [[LampshadeHanging Lampshade Hung]] when Buffy worked out he did this to avoid having to see whatever was going on).
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}''
** Simon is good at this. One of the best was when River told Jubal, "I don't think your intentions are honorable" and Simon squinted (saying "Oh, really?")
** Also, Jayne is frequently seen curiously touching things, such as Simon's birthday cake and the hologram in the hospital.
* Dr Cox's habit of touching his nose in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. According to actor John C. [=McGinley,=] this is an homage to Paul Newman's character in ''TheSting''. Also how he puts his hands behind his head when he's upset - this was [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] at some point in Season 7. Also, whenever he takes off a pair of medical gloves, he always uses the elastic to ping them away.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''
** Picard's habit of straightening his uniform whenever he stands up. So common that fans gave it a joke name: the Picard Maneuver (named after an actual tactic the character invented). He also did a little motion with his hand most of the time when he said "Engage."
** Then there's Lore's facial tic, which comes in handy when you [[EvilTwin need to distinguish him from Data]].
** Data has a few of his own, such as quickly tilting his head to one side or another when he thinks. It's apparently the body language equivalent of a hard drive clicking.
* ''Series/StargateSG1''
** Daniel Jackson tends to subtly furrow his eyebrows and lips when frustrated (although that's probably more Michael Shanks). Although this lessened later in the series, for at least the first two seasons, Daniel had a habit of [[OralFixationFixation licking his lips]] or biting them when he was thinking or was interrupted. Late in the show, he also has the tendency to let his head drop forward whenever he's frustrated or bemused.
** Teal'c falls victim quite frequently to the [[FascinatingEyebrow Spock Eyebrows]] -- so frequently that it's been [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] on multiple occasions. Once, Teal'c interrogated a prisoner simply by raising his eyebrows. He also clenches his jaw when he's irked.
** Col. Carter's momentary grimace anytime she either does something wrong, or bad things are about to happen.
* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'': Rodney [=McKay=] snaps his fingers when he's trying to remember something, and shakes his finger (like he's scolding you) when he's thinking really hard. The actor once snapped his fingers at his girlfriend by mistake when he'd been playing [=McKay=] all day. As [=McKay=] is an asshole, this didn't go down too well. According to David Hewlett, his then-girlfriend/now-wife gives him a 10-minute grace period after he comes home to shed his [=McKay=]-isms. After that...
* ''Series/DoctorWho''
** The Tenth Doctor:
*** He runs his hands through his hair when he's frustrated.
*** He dramatically [[PurelyAestheticGlasses dons his glasses when it's time to look clever]]
*** That tongue-on-the-roof-of-his-mouth thing he does all the time.
*** "...and my voice going all squeaky when I shouted, I still do that! I got that from you."
*** Shoving his hands in his pockets when confronting enemies or antagonistic characters.
*** Rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet while talking, especially to aforementioned enemies and antagonists.
*** Pulling on his earlobe or rubbing the back of his neck when uncomfortable or embarrassed (usually brought on by Donna).
*** [[http://s3.vidimg.popscreen.com/original/15/RkJnbjRQSUZ6eHcx_o_a-tribute-to-david-tennants-left-eyebrow.jpg The Left Eyebrow.]] It has its own tumblr.
*** David Tennant must be contractually obligated to make [[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v83/Kasterborous/Doctors/DavidTennantFace.jpg this face]] at least once an episode.
** The Eleventh Doctor
*** Drawing things in the air to arrive at epiphanies.
*** [[http://cdn1.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Neil-Gaiman-The-Doctors-wife.jpg Wringing his hands]] when nervous or when musing things over (See also; The Second Doctor down)
*** Being VERY awkward when being kissed.
*** Spinning in a complete circle rather than just turning to the right or left to look at something.
*** Fiddling with his bowtie before embarking on a course of action and/or after arguing with someone.
*** Repeating words over and over when flustered, often changing their tone each time "Yes yes yes of course yes of course!" etc.
*** Eleven also tends to snap his fingers before pointing at someone or something.
** During Series 5, Amy would occasionally bulge her eyes and pucker her mouth- known to fans as the :I face. KarenGillan seems to be making a conscious effort to stop this, as Amy has not done this tic during the entirety of Series 6.
** The First Doctor (William Hartnell) would often gesture with his hands close to his face. Peter Purves, who played his companion Stephen Tyler, said that this was William Hartnell's response to not being able to gesture broadly in the same way as you could on stage, because TV was "small" (i.e., it didn't capture all the action across the whole set all the time). He would also flutter his hands when trying to decide something. One also tended to [[http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/The-first-doctor-timelords-270820_395_597.jpg clutch]] at his [[http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101211235108/tardis/images/f/f1/William_hartnell_farewell.jpg jacket lapels]].
** The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) had a habit of [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa323/ticktoast/TeamTwohastoomuchsexy_zps5120743c.png wringing]] [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa323/ticktoast/TwoandtheIceWarriors_zpse64a3692.png his]] [[http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa323/ticktoast/teamtwohitsanuh-oh_zps37a4245a.png hands]] constantly.
** The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) had his neck rub.
** The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) had running a hand through his hair, saying "What!" whenever he heard something he didn't like, and cocking his head and going "Ah, ''well''..." whenever he was about to deliver technobabble. (David Tennant deliberately invoked that last one with his Doctor too.)
** The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester [=McCoy=]) had his rrrolling Rrrs.
* Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the ''{{Dune}}'' miniseries had a distinctive habit of rubbing his right temple when he was frustrated. Later on, Paul Atreides does this himself, demonstrating the family connection between the two. In ''Children of Dune,'' we see Alia performing the gesture when she hears the Baron's voice in her head.
* ''MarriedWithChildren'': Al Bundy slips his hand into the waistbang of his trousers when he's relaxing in front of the TV. His daughter Kelly temporarily adopts this along with her father's personality in the episode "The Good-Bye Girl" after a rough day at her new job at a TV-based tourist attraction. Al also puts his hands in his pockets and smirks in a sanctimonious fashion when he feels someone else is about to get their comeuppance.
** Marcy had a tendency to shake her finger when admonishing someone, especially Al.
* Robert Barone in ''EverybodyLovesRaymond'' always touches food to his chin before eating it. According to Ray Romano, his RealLife brother (who Robert is based on) also does this.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "The Man Trap," Nancy Crater the salt vampire has a habit of putting the knuckle of her index finger in her mouth. Then we see [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Dr. McCoy doing the same gesture]]...
* ''Series/{{Monk}}'' has a lot of these: neck-crinking, fingers steepled, hands in front when examining crime scenes... it's compounded by his obsessive-compulsive tendencies. It's eventually revealed that the finger-steepling is something he got from his father. That is what appears in the page image.
* Jerry from ''BostonLegal'' would stomp, purr, hop, and make popping noises when he got upset; and in later episodes pull out a wooden cigarette as a crutch. This is, of course, ignoring his characteristic hands-on-your-knees style of walking and general social awkwardness.
* In ''Series/TheXFiles'', Agent Mulder is always putting things in his mouth--usually [[TrademarkFavoriteFood sunflower seeds]], but in the first season especially, he can also be caught munching on paper clips.
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'':
** Hiro certainly pushes his glasses further up his face a lot.
** Like Magneto, Sylar often points with two fingers held together whenever he's using telekinesis and does so while flicking his wrist to throw people across a room, despite the fact that we see that on numerous occasions gesturing is not required. This is gesturing is later explained as him fine-tuning his ability to a precision point, which fits with how it's often used to cut open people's heads to steal their powers.
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Dark Frontier", Chakotay notes that Captain Janeway always fiddles with her comm badge when she's plotting something, a character tic that had never been seen before or since in the series. More accurately, Janeway has a tendency to place her hands on her hips, which unfortunately turned out to be the worst insult imaginable for one alien species that communicated through body language.
* Buster of ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' has a tendency to rub his hands over his ears, usually when he is nervous. So he essentially [[ShrinkingViolet perpetually rubs at his ears]].
* Pretty much every modern ''Franchise/KamenRider'' has one, but it's actually plot-relevant in ''KamenRiderFaiz''. Since the Rider Gears change hands a lot, Character Tics are usually the only way to know who's using one; TheHero Takumi's tic is flicking his wrist, while TheRival Kusaka's is adjusting his collar.
** ''{{Kamen Rider Den-O}}'' also has particularly visible examples of this trope, since a character [[PowersViaPossession possessed by an Imajin]] takes on their mannerisms. This reaches its peak with [[AllYourPowersCombined (Super) Climax Form]], which has 4-5 entities possessing Den-O at the same time and switching constantly.
* ''TheThickOfIt'' has a really [[CringeComedy cringeworthy]] one with "blinky dork" Ben Swain. Jamie calls his nervous blinking "epilepsy of the eyes."
* Dr. Lightman of ''Series/LieToMe'' licks his front teeth when he's figuring something out, usually when a lie has made him particularly angry or was particularly hard to catch. Torres has done the same thing once or twice.
* Benton Fraser of ''Series/DueSouth'' has at least two. When he's nervous he'll either rub his eyebrow with his thumbnail or tug gently at his left ear.
* On ''Series/BabylonFive'', both Londo and G'Kar had a tendency to tug on their lapels when giving speeches or when generally being pompous. Possibly a coincidence, but it also served as a subliminal reminder that the characters are [[NotSoDifferent more alike]] than they'd like to admit.
* Characters in KeepingUpAppearances have a tendency to repeat phrases over and over. In fact, all of Roy Clarke's characters tend to repeat phrases over and over. They do. They repeat things. Over and over.
* Both Niles and Frasier Crane on ''{{Frasier}}'' had a habit of mouthing wordlessly whenever they were surprised, confused, or offended. They also adopted a near-identical raised-eyebrow sideways glare whenever they were suspicious, among other tics. Given that the characters are brothers, this is a) FridgeBrilliance, and b) almost certainly an intentionally communicated agreement between Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce.
** Kelsey Grammer has also openly stated that he swiped several of Frasier's tics from JackBenny, Jackie Gleason and BetteDavis.
* [[TheBigBangTheory Leonard]] has a habit of wringing his hands when he's nervous, usually when he's talking to women.
* From VerboteneLiebe we have [[http://vl-discuss.livejournal.com/430157.html Christian fingerpointing]].
* Ally from ''AustinAndAlly'' chews her hair when she gets nervous.
* Castiel from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' [[QuizzicalTilt tilts his head to the side when he's confused.]] It seems to be a [[OurAngelsAreDifferent species-wide trait,]] but he [[LiteralMinded displays it]] [[DoesNotUnderstandSarcasm the most.]]
* Andros, [[PowerRangersInSpace the Red Space Ranger]] keeps his hair untied and often unknowingly tucks a strand behind ear.
* Odo's businesslike nod in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', which is usually a kind of nonverbal shorthand for "consider it done".
* ''Series/AllyMcBeal'': John Cage, a brilliant but weird lawyer, had lots of tics, along with strange personal habits. The ones that were mentioned and exhibited most often were his whistling nose (he could whistle it when he wanted but at times he couldn't stop it whistle) and he was preparing his closing arguments barefoot.
* ''Series/MondayMornings'': Dr Buck Tierney has a habit of pulling himself up and down and making a squeaky sound with his shoes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* Bill {{Goldberg}} had a tendency to lean on the ring ropes during promos in the ring.
* JohnCena fidgets with his hat during promos sometimes, usually taking it off and rubbing his head during "Awkward" or "Thinking" moments.
* After he unmasked, Wrestling/{{Kane}} used to constantly touch his hand to his face during matches, as if checking for blood.
** With the mask on he'll usually throw his head back, to keep the hair out of his face.
* TheUndertaker points to someone or something during promos with the hand holding the mic. Always.
* If KevinNash has one free hand (or both), you can bet he'll be flipping his hair back.
* When on the mic, ShawnMichaels will always work in the words "the fact of the matter is..." or "I got news for ya!". Often both.
* Lex Luger had this unhealthy obsession with touching himself. Proof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYDehCkc5rI
* CMPunk twisting his wrists as a warmup before his match.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In general, VideoGames that [[GoingThroughTheMotions go through the motions]] can have some positions that look unique enough to seem like a character tic, which may or may not be intentional, and if not, likely becomes AscendedFanon in a sequel if enough people think of it as such.
* Ashley Robbins of ''VideoGame/AnotherCode'' tends to lean forward slightly and tilt her head to the right when speaking to people.
* Gale in ''DigitalDevilSaga'' has a habit of touching his forehead when he speaks. Supposedly it's because he is the partial reincarnation of [[spoiler:the scientist David, who was Jenna Angel's lover in the real world.]] The forehead touch is similar to a "phantom limb" effect: [[spoiler:David]] wore glasses, and switching from wearing glasses for years to not wearing glasses still leaves behind the feeling of wearing glasses.
* Revolver Ocelot from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' has such a distinctive pistol-twirling motion that HideoKojima once didn't bother to refer to him by name in an interview - he merely imitated the twirl.
** Also, in ''MetalGearSolid3'' he has a hand gesture similar to Star Trek's Picard.
** Otacon pushing his glasses up at the bridge of his nose as a nervous tic is so persistent that he makes the motion even when he's not wearing glasses.
* Magus from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has a habit of readjusting his gloves. He usually does it when focusing a spell
** Robo has one too, after doing something that takes a bit of effort, his casing opens up and a hissing sound is heard. This is definitely a JustifiedTrope, as he's venting out heat since he's, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a robot.]] Done to sinister effect when [[spoiler:it's done by his brothers, the rest of the R-Series, after they beat the crap out of him. All six of them do it. Then, one of them picks up his battered body and throws it down a disposal shoot, which is a simple task, but he does it again, showing how trivially they think of disposing one of their own.]]
** Lucca moves her glasses up and down, possibly adjusting them, as a substitute for raising unseen eyebrows. She does it when she takes notice something, and usually doesn't stop until something else happens.
* Kadaj, of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII: Advent Children'', has a tendency to sort of twitch his face if things aren't going his way.
** While not exactly this trope, Sephiroth never blinks, and has extremely shallow breathing animations, even while tossing buildings at Cloud. He also has a distinctively light, acrobatic way of moving that he didn't in the game. He also never lets go of or sheathes his sword, which is odd, because he was always leaving it behind in the original game.
*** For tics that he had in the original game, he would slump his shoulders & laugh with such force that he started to shake, which he shares with his father, Hojo. He would also raise and spread his arms, and look up at the sky while giving speeches.
** Hojo also walked with his hands clasped behind his back.
** In the original game, Rufus flipped his hair a lot.
** So did Cloud, he's much more famous for it. [[GoingThroughTheMotions A lot of his poses]] can be seen as a character tic, however, as they're all used a lot. Dramatic shrug, putting one hand on hip as he sticks a leg forward, or scratching the back of his head.
*** A rather odd example occurs when near the beginning of the game, Cloud has to engage in a contest with body builders, doing the most squats in a time limit without screwing up. He has to practice the motions first, then start the competition (and could possibly lose miserably.) Later, one might notice Cloud loves doing squats effortlessly, usually in flashbacks. [[spoiler:This is an extremely subtle hint that things may not be as they seem. As a result of this,]] Zack has this tic too, it's his preferred workout method but he even does it when he's not working out. [[spoiler:The flashbacks are all about Zack, with Cloud replacing him as he believes he's Zack.]]
** Barret loves pumping his forearm for emphasis. Aerith likes to take the CoyGirlishFlirtPose a lot.
* Edgar of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' tends to wag his finger a lot. It's even his spell-casting pose.
* Ghirahim from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' really likes to wiggle his fingers around a lot, even when he's not MilkingTheGiantCow.
* Red from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' seems to have a character tic of adjusting his hat to cover his eyes, before a battle. He does that in his ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver HGSS]]'' sprite, a [[TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon Trading Card Game]] statue, and the first [[WhatCouldHaveBeen trailer for]] ''Battle Revolution''.
* Fighting Games in general give each character a trademark pose (or even more than one) that he or she assumes upon winning. ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' are good examples, but far from the only ones.
* Squall of FinalFantasyVIII adjusts his weight. A lot. Standing still on the World Map lets you watch him constantly adjusting his standing position.
* Zidane of FinalFantasyIX bends over slightly to scratch his butt, which makes him seem very monkey-like when combined with the fact that he also has a tail.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' has recurring character Anna, who is always, no matter what, resting a finger on her cheek or chin.
* Histoire plays with this trope in the original VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptunia, as she likes to use emoticons when she speaks [[spoiler: in her fairy form]]. To name a few in [[HyperdimensionNeptuniaMk2 Mk-2]], Nisa tends to strike a heroic pose now and then while speaking, Compa touches her finger to her cheek when wondering, and IF facepalms when distressed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* [[VoiceForTheVoiceless Misha]] in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' often translates what she says into sign language. This would normally not be out of the ordinary, as she usually does it for the benefit of her deaf-mute best friend, but she often does it even when the only one nearby who understands it is Misha herself.
* The characters in ''PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' all have their own poses and gestures, and Phoenix's dramatic finger point is among the most distinctive. The new prosecutor from ''Apollo Justice: VisualNovel/AceAttorney'', Klavier Gavin, even ''air guitars'' when things are going particularly well for him.
** This is actually a key gameplay mechanic in ''ApolloJustice''; if you have no evidence to refute a testimony that is obviously false, chances are the witness is playing with her ring, or he's sweating profusely, or something similar; Apollo can "Perceive" these and call out these nervous twitches by way of an incredible talent to read people.
** Phoenix's most famous tic is his GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger pose, but one of other poses is also very noticeable: his nervous one, where he's hunched over, eyes are half closed, teeth gritted and sweat going down the side of his face like a waterfall. He does it so much, it's even used more than his standard standing pose. The main reason this is notable is that in the sequel, Apollo Justice has his own versions of all of Phoenix' tics, including the nervous pose, but he doesn't do it nearly as much.
** Klavier Gavin, as mentioned up above, air guitars. But much more present is his finger snapping. He nearly constantly does this, as if listening to an invisible beat.
** Manfred Von Karma from the first game folds his arms a lot, eyes closed and squeezing his sleeves while doing so. The first thing we see of his daughter Franziska in the sequel is the same exact pose, causing the first impression to be that of uncanny resemblance from her father. Phoenix also notices something else
---> "Of all the things to inherit from her father, why did it have to be that smarmy smile?"
*** Also used to great effect in the third game. In the first, Manfred Von Karma had another particular trait of sticking his arm out and wagging his finger obnoxiously. The third game has a case that [[spoiler:takes place in the past, with Phoenix' mentor Mia being the Defense. The opposition is a younger Edgeworth, who has all his familiar poses and tics, and... his mentor's obnoxious finger wag, showing the great influence he had on him.]]
** Von Karma also has one more significant tic: putting his hand on his shoulder when nervous. It seems like just another nervous pose until you learn that [[spoiler:he got shot in the shoulder from a gun that accidentally fired. He used the same gun to kill Edgeworth's father, but just so the evidence that he's the killer isn't found, he didn't remove it surgically and it remained lodged in his shoulder for fifteen years.]]
*** When von Karma appears as the rival for the flashback segment of case 3 of ''Gyakuten Kenji 2'', all of his animations are the same as game 1, with the exception of one: [[spoiler:his nervous sprite. It's the same as his original game 1 sprite, but he doesn't clutch his shoulder. The case is ''before'' the DL-6 Incident, when he got shot in the shoulder.]]
*** Franziska has a very similar nervous sprite. Though it's not as obvious at first glance since she grabs ''both'' shoulders.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Grace of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' has a habit of holding her hands in front of her, a bit like a squirrel. Also, several characters will touch their index fingers together when nervous or embarrassed.
** Grace's squirrel hands make her recognisable even when she's transformed into a duplicate of someone else.
* Lamont from ''HannaIsNotABoysName'' giggles nervously when he's nervous.
* Radic from ''Webcomic/MurphysLaw'' has a habit of holding her chin when in thought.
* Most characters in ''QuestionableContent'' will raise an index to their faces when thinking aloud.
* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': Novik chewing his thumbnails.
* Lisa from the BDSM webcomic ''{{Webcomic/Sunstone}}'' has a habit of biting her lip when she's turned on (or if she badly needs to pee). Ally, her friend and mistress, ''loves'' it.
** Occasionally we see Ally rubbing her wrists when she's anxious, [[MyGreatestFailure there's a reason for this.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The protagonist of ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has a pronounced [[TwitchyEye eye tic]]. It occurs so often, it becomes [[TourettesShitcockSyndrome a Tourette-like tic]].
* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic has a tendency to pucker his mouth when he's thinking something over.
** "*shakes head left and right* Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic *nod*, I remember it so *swings right arm, with pointer finger extended, towards camera* you don't have to."
* [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment Spoony]], thanks to his LetsPlay of Phantasmagoria2, now involuntarily slaps himself whenever he makes a terrible pun.
* When she's annoyed and is trying to find the right words to say, WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick talks with her hands a lot more.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* On ''TheSimpsons'', Mr. Burns has one of the most obvious ones: his tendency to hold his hands in front of him like a praying mantis [[ClaspYourHandsIfYouDeceive with his fingers steepled]] (often as he says his {{catchphrase}}, "Eexxxxcellent...").
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' has a few: Kim's "puppy-dog pout", Rufus's "groggy blink", and a couple others.
* Robin's habit of punching his palm whenever he gets angry in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. He does this so often that if he took his glove off, viewers might see permanent knuckle prints there.
** Amusingly, this trait of his is [[MythologyGag carried over from the]] [[Series/{{Batman}} original Batman series]].
* In the DisneyAnimatedCanon films, animators watch the footage of the voice actors recording so they can give their mannerisms to the characters.
** [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid Ariel]] sighing so that it blows her bangs upward.
** [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] pushing back that lock of hair that always falls out of place.
*** The Beast has a tendency to pull on the back of his neck when he's ashamed or frustrated and will FacePalm when depressed or exhasperated.
** Disney/{{Aladdin}} rubs the back of his head when he's embarrassed, raises a single eyebrow when he's interested, and wiggles his eyebrows when he says something suggestive or has more than one meaning.
** [[Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Tiana]] squinting one eye when she cringes. Anika Noni Rose also asked if she could be lefthanded like she is.
** Villainous example that also doubles as a FunnyAneurysmMoment; Maleficent from Disney's Sleeping Beauty had a noticeable habit of lifting her hand up to her chest when speaking, a habit she shared with her voice actress, Eleanor Audley. A lot of people found this quite charming and dramatic... Until Eleanor Audley died of respiratory failure.
*** To be fair, Audley died at eighty-six. She was, however, fighting a case of tuberculosis while making the film. She almost turned down the role because of it.
* Stan of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' pinches his nose (or, rather, where his nose ''should'' be) when he's irritated.
** Kenny would often tug on the strings of his hood when he's scared.
** Butters tends to wring his hands or rub his knuckles together when worried.
** Timmy [[ContemplatingYourHands contemplates his hands]].
* Whenever [[WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy Eddy]] is annoyed, disgusted, or just plain bored, his eyebrows would be shown connected.
** The trio also has distinct ways of running, Double D knitting his arms and back straight, Eddy doubled over with his arms extended (and more often than not, his big discolored tongue sticking out), and Ed sort of loses control of his upper body, causing it to hang backwards as he runs, his arms extended.
* [[Creator/CarlosAlazraqui Mr. Crocker]] goes into violent spasms whenever he says [[strike:"fairies"]] '''[[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents "FAIRY GODPARENTS!!!"]]'''
** He'll also sometimes spazz whenever he says other things as well. For example, in the episode ''Mr. Right'', he has a spasm while saying "HAVE A NICE DAY!"
** Poof either waves his arms or bounces when he's super happy or excited.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': Blink or you'll miss, Candace blinks erratically when excited (to the point of being seen as a psycho) when she believes the boys are about to get busted.
* ALL of the characters in any of SethMacFarlane's shows, including [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed celebrities]], often raise their hand(s) at chest level.
* For ''MoralOrel'', one word sums it up: ''[[LoudGulp Gulp]]''
* Robin in WesternAnimation/YoungJustice has a habit of just [[StealthHiBye disappearing]]. It's something Batman is known for in all other adaptations, usually as a way of appearing mysterious or enigmatic, so it's clear where Robin got it from. Unlike Batman, however, everybody just finds it annoying.
--> '''Kid Flash:''' "I hate it when he does the ninja thing."
* From ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', we have [[FanNickname Ms. Peachbottom]] from the episode ''Games Ponies Play.'' She is extremely claustrophobic, and whenever her phobia kicks in, she starts stretching and "limbering up" in an attempt to distract herself.
* General Rinaker in ''WesternAnimation/RoswellConspiracies'' has a set of keys that he constantly twirls.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Everyone has their own little tics. Part of what makes each of us unique.
* Creator/HarrisonFord will do a half smile no matter who he's playing. [[http://www.apartment42.com/fingergallery.htm He will also point at whoever he's speaking with if he gets annoyed enough.]]
* MartinFreeman has a habit of licking his lips. It happens frequently during Series/{{Sherlock}}, as well as in interviews.
* RickMoranis has a tendency to make a smirking expression with only the right side of his mouth. And to look angry, he leers with a pout.
* {{Gackt}} has a habit of touching his bottom lip whenever he is embarrassed or nervous.
* DavidTennant appears to have a whole host of these, all... [[OralFixationFixation mouth centric.]]
* According to the article [[http://www.natalieportman.com/npcom.php?page_number=21&viewarticle=2&article_number=340 "The Beautiful Mind"]], NataliePortman has a habit of playing with her toes during an interview.
* Timothy Carey had these by the barrel, and would infuse every character he played with them, to the point of him hogging the camera even when sitting quietly in the background.
* EmmaWatson and her infamous "eyebrow acting".
* EllenPage does a slight clicking sound at the back of her throat when stuttering.
[[/folder]]
----