Innocent or Offensive? The 7 Hand Gestures That You Should Think Twice About Doing
Do you think that the middle finger is the only hand gesture you can do to insult someone without saying a word? Showing the middle finger isn’t the only special one here. There are other hand gestures that you can use. But what’s funny is the signs that you could’ve known to tell positive messages are actually the ones that’ll also do the opposite if by any chance you’re in a country where this is used to offend people. Here are the seven innocent gestures that are also used as insults for other cultures:
1. The “A-OK!”
For Americans, making a circle with their thumb and index finger while keeping the three other fingers extended means everything’s okay. If that’s what you’re used to and you’re currently in Greece, Turkey, or South American countries, don’t you ever dare do it. It refers to a man’s or woman’s private parts and you can also do it if you want to say “You’re gay” or “A-hole.” In other parts of Europe, this could mean “zero” which is equal to “You’re nothing.”
2. The “Thumbs Up”
Extending one’s thumb to the sky is considered rude in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and in Latin America. In other words, the thumbs up means “Shove this up yours!”
3. The “Metal!”
Most of the people will think it’s all “Rock and roll dude!” or a symbol used by the fans of the University of Texas Longhorns. But in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, and in some Baltic States, it says “Your wife is cheating on you.”
4. The “Thumb Bite”
Placing a thumb in or around your mouth if you’re in India or Pakistan is an insult for the random recipient. It means “Your entire family is worthless” or “Screw you.”
5. The “Beckon”
In Singapore, beckoning doesn’t mean that you want the person to approach you. It says, “You’ll be dead!” It’s also rude to do this gesture in Japan and Malaysia, and in the Philippines, you only do this when calling a dog.
6. The “Peace Sign”
In the United States, extending the index finger and middle finger means, “Peace out!” But in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, if you do a V-sign while your palm is facing towards you, it asks for a challenge like, “Come and get me” or an insult saying, “Up yours.”
7. The “Got your Nose!”
You might be using this when you’re trying to kid a baby that you really got his nose. But in Italy, Turkey, and India, making a fist with the thumb poking out between the index and middle fingers is a slang for the female private part or another gesture that means “F*** you!”
