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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
(1) the extension of the first and middle finger into a "V" - held aloft, meaning peace in the 1960s and 70s, and meaning victory at other times; or held behind another's head, signifying stupidity;
Be careful with this one in the UK and possibly other places. With the palm outward it is as Sparteye says, but with the palm inward towards yourself it is similar to the US extended middle finger.
Some Indonesian gestures. One similar to the namaste means I'm sorry. The higher the hands the deeper the apology. An extended middle finger moved diagonally across the temples means crazy. To gesture come here, hold your arm out horizontally but with a slight crook of the elbow and with the fingers extended and the palm facing downwards. Bring all the fingers up towards the palm several times in fairly rapid succession.
When I was teaching Japanese students I noticed that their "who? Me?" gesture was to point at their nose rather than their chest.
Bingley
Bingley
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Some of these gestures are really ancient and enshrined in literature. Dante, in Inferno, has a character defying God by holding up his hands both showing il fico, which is making a loose fist with the thumb between the index and middle fingers, top of the thumb sticking out. This is an obviously obscene gesture. In the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare has the following dialogue between the servants of the Capulets and those of the Montagues: "Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?" "I do bite my thumb, sir." This refers to the gesture of making a fist, thumb raised and extended and flicking the thumb under the upper teeth at someone, and is a gesture of contempt.
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Pooh-Bah
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RE: "One similar to the namaste means I'm sorry. The higher the hands the deeper the apology."
What is "namaste"?
I have been told that the British gesture analagous to the middle finger, that is raising two fingers upward in a reverse peace sign or V (i.e. with the fingernails toward the recipient) comes from the time of longbows and England's war with France. As I was told, the English became very proficient with their longbows to the point that they were devastating weapons against the French. When the French would capture English archers as prisoners of war, they would cut off their first two fingers so they could no longer use their bows. Those English with all ten digits took to raising their fingers on the battlefield as a gesture of contempt and to remind the French that they were about to receive a volley of well-aimed arrows.
My favorite sign language word is the sign for "b*llsh*t," as depicted in the film "Children of a Lesser God," but it is hard to describe.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yes, the book i mentioned back on page 1-- the one printed in 1769-- the auther premise was that art work illustrated on classic greek urn, used hand gestures-- and the people of naples -- greek for new city-- still used the same hand gestures. So some of them are old-- and "biting your thumb" I know, and have use that one.
I realize i use very few hand gestures now in commuication-- but i used many when i was younger, living in the bronx, and often communicating with people who did not have english as first language. I could read and use many italian gestures-- I interacted more with italians (some are cousins, and in school) I know few yidish or jewish hand gestures-- since i had less personal contact. While my mother had jewish friends, most of my friendships were formed from schoolmates, and i went to a catholic school. (my defination of friend here would be someone not only welcome in your house, but familiar enough to help themselves to a "cuppa"-- and would know where the tea, sugar and tea pot could be found) i would never use hand gestures with adults-- they would require formal treatment-- All of my parents friend were addressed as Mr. or Mrs., never by first name.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Alex mentions: My favorite sign language word is the sign for "b*llsh*t," as depicted in the film "Children of a Lesser God," but it is hard to describe.
Lessee kin I give it a try:
One arm held in front of body with the forearm horizontal across the body at about mid chest level hand in a fist palm down with fore and little fingers extended; representing the horns of the bull. Other arm immediately below first arm in the same configuration with the fist of the latter under the elbow of the former and the elbow of the latter under the fist of the former. The fingers are not initially extended. Rapidly open fist of lower hand; representing the stercorem of the bull. Contemptuous sneer on face. Mouth "Yeah, right" or words to that effect.
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Carpal Tunnel
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making a loose fist with the thumb between the index and middle fingers, top of the thumb sticking outThis is a "t"in finger spelling used by the deaf. http://dww.deafworldweb.org/asl/abc/az.htmlThe gestures are pictured. In ASL if you waggle the fist while making the gesture it means "toilet." Along with a questioning look it may mean "Where is the Ladies' or Men's room?" wow
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Carpal Tunnel
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yes-- almost-- in the insulting version-- you would hold your finger towards you, and have the knuckles facing out. Like the V for victory or the double digital salute of the English-(see previous posts)- its meaning can change depending on which way your hand faces! One way is an insult-- the other way is a letter or a statement or a question!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Cross your fingers for luck.
Combination of having both hands horizontally out at chest level, palms up, fingers spread, elbows close to body and shrug - to mean I don`t know.
Has anybody else ever seen swiping the hand at the neck quickly and repeatedly in a horizontal motion to mean - urgent cut it short or shut up?
Impatience is really conveyed by drumming your fingers.
And where did the wave originate? The sideways flutter like if you are washing your windows wave. Or the same type of hand flutter with your palm towards your body, in an up and down motion to signify "that was a close one."
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Pooh-Bah
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I am crossing my fingers and hoping someone will tell me what "namaste" means.
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alex, you might find this site 'enlightening': http://church-of-the-east.org/spirituality/namaste.htm briefly, namaste is a traditional hindu greeting meaning "i bow to the divine in you" The Sanskrit 'Namas' is defined as "bow, obeisance, reverential salutation.", and is derived from the root Nam, which carries meanings of bending, bowing, humbly submitting and becoming silent. "Te" means "to you", therefore "namaste" means "I bow to you." BTW, it is pronounced "namasthay" (and i'm not taking credit for any of this; i was curious as well and googlized it. not quite a YCLIU, though, since it was arguably hard to find) cheers =)
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