Offensive Hand Gestures

Were you paying attention??

#8:

#4:

#10:

#6:

True or False? The V-sign means peace in Australia.

In which country below is the Moutza offensive?

A. America

B. Greece

C. Mexico

D. Canada

Which hand gesture means someone means zero or nothing in certain cultures?

A. Moutza

B. Fig

C. A-Ok

D. Thumbs up

The Fig can mean which letter in American Sign Language?

A. T

B. A

C. E

D. S

#9:

Which of the following is the Cutis?

#7:

B.

A.

What may happen if you do the Dog-Call to a person in the Philippines?

#5:

D.

C.

The Corna means what to Americans?

A. Your husband is cheating

B. Come here

C. Talk to the hand

D. Rock on

# 1:

#3:

#2:

True or false? Can a hand gesture be offensive to one culture but not another?

Which country was the Tacano offensive in?

A. Australia

B. Russia

C. Greece

D. Mexico

Which of the following was not a hand gesture mentioned in this presentation?

A. Dog-Call

B. The X

C. Corna

D. Tacana

"Thumbs Up"

The "thumbs up" hand gesture is commonly known in Western cultures as a positive indication like "good job" or letting someone know you are in position.

However, there are some cultures who take it offensively. some of those cultures/countries include:

• Russia
• Latin America
• West Africa
• Middle East
• Greece
• Sardinia
• some of south Italy

"Chin Flick"

The chin flick is actually offensive to any culture that does it unless you are somewhere like America just casually scratching your chin. This gesture means to get lost. to produce this gesture, you brush your fingers under your chin.

Offended cultures/countries:

• France
• Belgium
• Northern Italy
• Tunisia

The "Fig"

This gesture is of Roman origin meaning good luck or fertility. It is the American Sign Language letter T. To make this gesture you make a fist and put your thumb in between your index finger and your middle finger.

To these countries, it can be taken as a threat:

• Italy
• Turkey
• India

"The Finger"

Video:

The "Moutza"

This is when you open your palm and spread your fingers. In most western cultures, this is a simple wave.

In other cultures, if a hand is put towards someone's face it takes the meaning of "talk to the hand".

• Greece
• Pakistan
• parts of Africa
• Korea

In many Western cultures, using the middle finger to anyone is offensive. In almost all Mediterranean and Arabic countries, they use the index finger in place of the middle finger, but it holds the same meaning.

Tacano

Pronounced Tah-cahn-yo. This means you are calling someone stingy. To make this gesture, you place your hand under your elbow.

The "Cutis"

Matching the elbow to stinginess are:

• Mexico
• South America

The "cutis" is when you place your thumb nail to your front teeth. This has no meaning in Western cultures.

It means "screw you" or is the equivalent of "the finger" of American culture in:

• India
• Pakistan

The "Dog-Call"

This hand gesture is the equivalent of most cultures motioning for someone to come here.

But in the Philippines, this hand gesture is only to be used on dogs or could lead to your arrest. Also, it could even result in the breaking of your index finger so it will not happen again.

The "Corna"

The "Corna" is a symbol to dispel evil in Hinduism and Buddhism. Oddly enough, it is also used as Satan salute in other cultures that believe in Satanism. In America, we use this symbol as a means to "rock on!" This is also used by sports teams as a symbol of their mascot (i.e. Longhorns, Texans, Bulls, etc.). It can be used in baseball for two outs, as well.

In other cultures, it can be used as an insult meaning either to offend a referee or to say that someone's wife is cheating. As in:

• Brazil
• Albania
• Slovakia

• Columbia
• Spain
• Portugal
• Greece
• Czech Republic

The "A-OK"

This hand gesture most commonly means great or OK in America and the United Kingdom. It can be a compliment to the chef, as well.

It's opposing meaning is calling someone a zero or making a joke about someone's sexuality. Like in:

• Brazil
• some places in Europe
• Germany
• Mediterranean countries

Resources:

The "V-sign"

The "V-sign" means victory or peace and love in American culture. It can be done with the palm facing out or the back of your hand facing out. It also means the number two in American Sigh Language.

• http://www.languagetrainers.co.uk/blog/2007/09/24/top-10-hand-gestures/
• http://www.amusingplanet.com/2011/10/rude-hand-gestures-of-world.html

If held with the back of your hand facing out it can be and insult to:

• Australia
• New Zealand
• Ireland
• Great Britain
• Italy

Hand Gestures and their Offensiveness