A few hours ago on Broadway, a man in a Kangol cap, a track suit, and sunglasses was whistling across the street to a friend. He tucked his bottom lip beneath his incisors, one of which was gold, and emitted an uncommonly loud and elaborate whistle. The whistle had a high, smooth, oscillating pitch. It sounded like a sine wave or an unusually cheerful mourning dove.

"That's a hell of a whistle you've got there," I said as I passed.

"Thank you sir!" he boomed. "I swallowed a bird!" Then he gave me one of those wink/cheek-clicks that is often accompanied by that pointing gesture where you make like your finger is a gun and your thumb is the hammer.

But he didn't make that pointing gesture. Just the wink/cheek-click.