When I hitchhiked, I used the standard hitchiking sign: thumbs up. When I like something, I often resort to the international standard of giving a thumbs up. Everyone understands that, and everyone uses that.
Or so I thought.
Lately, I've been told that thumbs up is a rude gesture in parts of Russia, West Africa, Greece and Iran. (And southern Italy?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumbs_signal#International_usage
So -- how do you hitchhike there? And how does it feel to give someone a rude sign when you like something on Facebook?
And also, the A-OK sign, thumb against the forefinger and the other three fingers fanned out, apparently means quite different things in different countries: money in Japan, zero in other places, and other again (Russia, Brazil?) it is a rude gesture.
Is all of this true? And do you know of any other mismtches between rude and non-rude gestures?
Emma, it's rude with the palm inward only, not with palm outward (when it means victory or girl power or in general something positive)
It even happens here on italki!
I've noticed a number of young Asian members have italki profile pictures in which they're making a sign holding up a hand, palm inwards, with the index and middle fingers raised in a V sign. I'm sure it's intended as a friendly gesture, but in Britain this means 'F *** off'. Needless to say, this could cause offence.
Hi Jostein, non-verbal communication is very important! Benny Lewis, the famous polyglot, relates a story in his book where in Egypt, people would speak to him in English before he'd said a word. There it was all to do with him wearing light summer clothes, rather than pullovers, etc...
I have a book packed away somewhere which is only about hand gestures - fascinating! I just checked to see if Amazon could remind me of the name, but I found:
It seems the problem is it can be TOO easy to offend non-verbally!
Fortunately, I read your comments Su.Ki, I didn't know it.
Here in France, the V sign with fingers means "Victory".
