Making eye contact is a good start, but if he crosses his arms, is he telling you to back off? If she greets you with a yawn, do you head for the door? Not if you know body language.

Women cross their arms to say "stay away," but when a guy makes the gesture, it says: "I'm relaxed and comfortable." And the yawn? For both sexes, an adrenaline rush can send blood oxygen into nose dive, prompting a big yawn. But that means they're floored, not bored. Astroglide's ABC's of Body Language will show you how to decipher the non-verbal communications that say much more than words.

• Is he touching the knot of his tie? Is she playing with her necklace? Done slowly and casually, it's a sign of availability, not nerves. Touching the throat is sensual, and the person doing it says: So am I.
• Hair tugging, on the other hand, isn't such a good sign. When a guy tugs at a piece of hair, or a woman pulls her hair back off her face or twists a strand around her finger, it signals a major disassociation.
• When a man takes off his tie or jacket, he's symbolically disrobing for you. How should you respond? Roll up your sleeves and show some skin. It's a subtle striptease that lets him know you're interested.
• Good signs include rapid eye blinks, body alignment (turning to face you, moving to be closer), showing the palms of the hands (nothing to hide), face touching (particularly the lips), and an unconscious mimicking of your gestures.
• Bad signs – looking away, a quarter-turn of the shoulders away from you (cold shoulder), lifting the chin (literally looking down at you). Licking the lips if done slowly and sensuously is very good. But a fast, unconscious flick of the tongue says you're making the person nervous and should back off a little.

Check back soon for more body language tips. If you have a question about body language, send your question to ideas@biofilm.com