From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Shrug \Shrug\ (shr[u^]g), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Shrugged} (shr[u^]gd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Shrugging} (shr[u^]g"g[i^]ng).] [Probably akin to shrink, p. p. shrunk; cf. Dan. skrugge, skrukke, to stoop, dial. Sw. skrukka, skruga, to crouch.] To draw up or contract (the shoulders), especially by way of expressing doubt, indifference, dislike, dread, or the like.
He shrugs his shoulders when you talk of securities. --Addison.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Shrug \Shrug\, verb (used without an object) To raise or draw up the shoulders, as in expressing doubt, indifference, dislike, dread, or the like.
They grin, they shrug. They bow, they snarl, they snatch, they hug. --Swift.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
shrug \shrug\, noun A gesture consisting of drawing up the shoulders, -- a motion usually expressing doubt, indifference, or dislike; -- it is sometimes accompanied by a slight turning of the hands outward or upward. Such a gesture may be made, as in answering "who knows" to a question, suggesting utter ignorance of an answer and a disinclination to pursue the topic further. [1913 Webster +PJC]
On Sept. 23, in a major speech in New York, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commision, Arthur Levitt asked the Big Board to spike the rule [Rule 390] in the interest of free and unfettered markets. . . . Mr. Grasso responded with a shrug, saying that he had no plans to kill the rule. --Gretchen Morgenson (N. Y. Times Nov. 28, 1999 sect. 3 p. 1. [PJC]
The Spaniards talk in dialogues Of heads and shoulders, nods and shrugs. --Hudibras.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a gesture involving the shoulders
verb
1: raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation [also: {shrugging}, {shrugged}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
41 Moby Thesaurus words for "shrug": accept, bearing, beck, beckon, body language, carriage, charade, chironomy, condone, countenance, dactylology, deaf-and-dumb alphabet, dumb show, gesticulate, gesticulation, gesture, gesture language, grin and abide, hand signal, kinesics, let go by, let pass, mime, motion, motion to, movement, obey, overlook, pantomime, poise, pose, posture, rise above, saw the air, shrug it off, shrug the shoulders, sign language, stance, submit to, wave the arms, yield to
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Let's see what we can do if we put our heads together.
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