two fingers trying to touch after joining hands

The cutis. Flicking your thumb from the back of your upper front teeth toward someone is seriously nasty in India and Pakistan and simply means “f*** you.” Very nice. Possibly one of the oldest hand gestures still in use, it dates all the way back to ancient Byzantium, when criminals were chained to donkeys and paraded through the streets, where locals would rub their own feces onto the prisoner.ĥ. The moutza. In Greece, Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa, the action of raising your open hand, palm out, with spread fingers in front of someone is a serious sign of displeasure. It will not get you a positive reaction in most parts of southern Europe or Brazil, and it’s used commonly by soccer fans wanting to send an offensive message to the fans of the opposing team. Forearm jerk. This is the action of punching your fist into your elbow joint while raising the other fist up in front of you. And, in some countries it symbolizes lady parts.ģ. A clenched fist with your thumb between your first and second fingers means “screw you” (to put it mildly) in Turkey, Russia, and Indonesia. In France, this gesture is known as la barbe (”the beard”) and is the hand-sign equivalent of macho grandstanding.Ģ. The chin flick. Brushing the back of your hand underneath your chin in a flicking motion means “get lost” in Belgium, northern Italy, and Tunisia. So aside from keeping your hands firmly in your pockets while you are traveling, what can you do to ensure that you don’t insult the locals or end up in a bar brawl? The last time I checked, there was no section in any of my phrasebooks for hand gestures.ġ. In Turkey, that sign is also an insult toward gay people. In those countries it means that you are calling someone an a**hole. Yet it is seen as offensive in Greece, Spain, and Brazil. we use it to convey agreement and compliance. Take the OK sign - the simple hand signal where you put your thumb and first finger together to create a circular shape. to portray positive emotion or agreement, for example, might mean something highly offensive in a foreign land. But did you know that not all hand gestures mean the same thing in every country? In some places, gestures that we use on a daily basis in the U.S. In fact, people rely more heavily on hand gestures and body language when in situations where they are unable to verbally interact with someone. Even if you never leave home without your trusty phrase book, communication is as much about nonverbal cues as it is about talking. One of the main problems travelers face is communicating with the locals.

Two fingers trying to touch after joining hands