What do you call that look?

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

What do you call that look on a young child's face when they catch two grown-ups kissing? You know the one that I mean. Their mouth makes a big O shape and their eyes get wide and you can tell they think it's funny and naughty and kind of scandalous.

I've been wracking my brain for weeks. It's not a big part of my story-- really just a throw-away detail. But I want to capture the child's reaction to the kiss without spending a lot of words on it or stalling the pace of the story. The place-holder I have now is:

"Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the _____ look on four-year-old Kevin's face."​

Has anyone got a nice, concise description I can steal? Can anyone help me fill in the blank?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Flixity]

incredulous?

 

[ttvttp]

mystified.

 

[ttvttp]

rendered speechless

 

[ttvttp]

Could also be gobsmacked.

 

[ElectricBlue]

astonished

wide-eyed

amazed

get a room

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

incredulous?

mystified.
rendered speechless
Could also be gobsmacked.

astonished

wide-eyed

amazed

get a room

A lot of those are really close, but they somehow fail to capture the mirth in the expression. Kids think this sort of thing is funny. If it was two six-year-old girls they'd be giggling together. But I don't have two girls. I have one little boy who would be laughing if he wasn't caught off guard.

I can't believe we don't have a word for this in English.

 

[Flixity]

What about priceless?

Then it's just implied.

 

[shelly2inme]

the look

whimsical curiosity

 

[careythomas]

Agog, aghast..

Bamboozled?

 

[AfterDusk]

Depends on the kid’s personality I think. Befuddled? Horrified? Grossed out? Confused?

 

[HectorBidon]

Perhaps "I caught the irreverent smirk..."

 

[NotWise]

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the _____ look on four-year-old Kevin's face.

I don't think I've ever seen the look you described. On the other hand, you probably don't need to describe it or name it. "Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the look on four-year-old Kevin's face," or "I caught the look on four-year-old Kevin's face out of the corner of my eye," seem to work.

 

[yukonnights]

Wouldn't it be "shocked"...like in what the heck are they doing! Or maybe, 'dumbfounded"..."quizzical" Or one of these; a quizzical look on her face: inquiring, questioning, curious; puzzled, perplexed, baffled, mystified; amused.

I'm like you, I can see it but not sure how to describe it with that perfect nuance.

 

[kurrginatorX]

Flabbergasted

 

[Bramblethorn]

Nothing that captures all of it in one word, but some options in the neighbourhood:

scandalised
smirk
gleeful
titillated
shocked

 

[SimonDoom]

Since this is a four-year-old we're talking about, it can't be a word that suggests nuance or complexity.

Titillated wouldn't be right. Are four-year-olds titillated?

What's needed is a good hard simple expression.

Maybe "thunderstruck"? Something like that?

 

[Hypoxia]

bored

 

[Bramblethorn]

Since this is a four-year-old we're talking about, it can't be a word that suggests nuance or complexity.

Titillated wouldn't be right. Are four-year-olds titillated?

*thinks about how my nephews react when somebody mentions peeing, pooing, or farting*

Yes.

 

[KimGordon67]

'indescribable'

... though to be honest, I don't think a four year old would care.

 

[Bill_Cosplay]

It's not a word, but this could be the look.

 

[KeithD]

Titillated wouldn't be right. Are four-year-olds titillated?

Having a child look titillated at observing any form of sex (which kissing is) in a Literotica story would get the story rejected if Laurel saw it.

Incredulous seems a good word for this, I think.

 

[Handley_Page]

'Puzzled' comes to mind.

 

[PuckIt]

comical

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

Thanks everyone for a ton of great suggestions. I don't know that we've hit 'perfect' yet--perfect may not exist--but you've given me a lot of new directions to think in. A PM suggested mashing up multiple adjectives. Maybe I can do what I need with two or three words instead of just one. I'll keep fiddling with it.