I'm sure everyone here has experienced at some point - usually the beginning - of their magic careers, that insecure feeling right at the point when a sleight has to be done for the trick to progress.

And it's usually unnatural in some way, like a sharp twitch of the head; a conspicuous cough, an unusually long or pronounced blink, an infexion in the tone of voice, jerky speech .... and whatever else.

For me, it used to be the cough. Whats yours?(It'd be nice to elaborate)

Interesting topic.

You are referring to what's known in performance as a "tell". A tell is something that the performer does that tips a move in advance. Most people have a tell in some form or other. Not easy to know what its yourself, even harder to get rid of completely.

Even some of my favourite celebrity magicians have tells. I know that when so and so rubs his nose, a move is coming. Or when so and so bites his lower lip, a move is coming.

There has to be something that we all do when doing a move. While we can all aim to get rid of tells, I do not think it is quite possible. Strangely enough, my tell comes from applying good, sound theory on misdirection during performance. It's kinda hard to explain without giving away certain concepts.

I read the title, and thought for a second that it was maths. lol!

Ha. Then you might as well differentiate it twice to just confirm it?