The smirk-a-lurk is no simpleton's sneer. In a broad sense, it signifies that an act of mischief has been achieved at the sole expense of its recipient. Under more scrutiny, however, we observe that the signature pinch at the corner of the mouth simultaneously communicates the proper primpness of a four-year-old girl tea-partying in her princess dress; the self-congratulating, scraggly grin of a hobo who just found a benjamin in the gutter, and all the genuine affection of an old friend. The recipient of the smirk-a-lurk is thus, in a single moment, made to feel as one who has been both warmly thanked and mercilessly had.
As you will observe, variations in finger form, facial expression, and/or the number of participants, add richness and dimensionality to the cultural meaning of the smirk-a-lurk. That said, we predict that anthropological experts around the world will see, in time, the merits of a rigorous scholarly inquiry into this valuable artifact of American culture.
