Rude Hand Gestures of the World by Romana Lefevre is a
photographic guide to the many ways of using hand gestures to offend people in
different parts of the world. The book’s photography is by Daniel Castro, and
published by Chronicle Books of San Francisco.
A hand gesture is arguably the most effective form of
expression, whether you’re defaming a friend’s mother or telling a perfect
stranger to get lost. Learn how to go beyond just flipping the bird with this
illustrated guide to rude hand gestures all around the world, from asking for
sex in the Middle East to calling someone crazy in Italy. Detailed photographs
of hand models and subtle tips for proper usage make Rude Hand Gestures of the
World the perfect companion for globe-trotters looking to offend.
Chin Flick
Meaning: Get lost
Used in: Belgium, France, Northern Italy, Tunisia
In France, this gesture is known as la barbe, or “the
beard", the idea being that the gesturer is flashing his masculinity in
much the same way that a buck will brandish his horns or a cock his comb.
Simply brush the hand under the chin in a forward flicking motion. While not as
aggressive as flashing one’s actual genitalia, this gesture is legal and
remains effective as a mildly insulting brush-off.
Note: In Italy, this gesture simply means “No.”
Idiota
Meaning: Are you an idiot?
Used in: Brazil
A South American gesture indicating stupidity, this requires
improv skills and an actorly flair. To perform, put your fist to your forehead
while making a comical overbite. The gesture is most effective when accented
with multiple grunts. When executed correctly, you will be rewarded with
appreciative laughs, though not, perhaps, from your subject.
Moutza
Meaning: To hell with you!/I rub **** in your face!/I'm going
to violate your sister!
Used in: Greece, Africa, Pakistan
The Moutza is among the most complex of hand gestures, as
elaborate and ancient as a Japanese tea ceremony. Perhaps the oldest offensive
hand signal still in use, the Moutza originated in ancient Byzantium, where it
was the custom for criminals to be chained to a donkey and displayed on the
street. There, local townsfolk might add to their humiliation by rubbing dirt,
feces, and ashes ("moutzos" in medieval Greek) into their faces.
Now that the advent of modern sewage systems and anti-
smoking laws means that these materials are no longer readily available, the
Moutza is a symbolic stand-in. In Greece, it is often accompanied by commands
including par’ta (“take these”) or órse (“there you go”). Over the years, the
versatile Moutza has acquired more connotations, including a sexual one, in
which the five extended fingers suggest the five sexual acts the gesturer would
like to perform with the subject’s willing sister.
Five fathers
Meaning: You have five fathers, i.e., your mother is a whore
Used in: Arab countries, Caribbean
If you are looking to get yourself deported from Saudi
Arabia – possibly amid a riot – you can do no better than the Five Fathers
gesture. The most inflammatory hand gesture in the Arab world, this sign
accuses the subject’s mother of having so many suitors that paternity is
impossible to determine. To execute, point your left index finger at your right
hand, while pursing all fingers of the right hand together. The insult is
extreme and almost certain to provoke violence.
Pepper mill
Meaning: crazy
Used in: Southern Italy
In southern Italy, craziness is indicated by this gesture,
in which one mimics the grinding of a pepper mill. The implication is that the
subject’s addled brain is whirring as fast as the mill's blades.
Corna
Meaning: Your wife is unfaithful
Used in: The Baltics, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Portugal,
Spain
Informing a friend that his wife has been unfaithful is an
unhappy and delicate task. Fortunately, in many countries, it is simple to do:
one simply gives him the Corna. A very old sign, the Corna dates back at least
2,500 years and represents a bull’s horns (bulls were commonly castrated to
make them calmer).
Be warned that while the gesture is used throughout the
world, its meaning varies greatly from country to country.Should you be on the
receiving end of the gesture, before you cast out your wife, remember that your
pal may simply be saying she is a fan of American college football or heavy
metal bands.
Note: In Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Lebanon, one makes a
similar gesture with an identical meaning by fanning out the fingers and
placing the hands by the ears to mimic a stag.
Write-off
Meaning: I am ignoring you
Used in: Greece
The literal translation of st’arxidia mou, the phrase that
accompanies this gesture, is “I write it on my testicles.” And while there may
well be people who, out of a strange psychological compulsion or simply
boredom, actually write on their testicles, here the threat is simply
metaphorical and tells the subject you’re ignoring him. One needn’t possess
testicles to use the gesture, which is employed by men and women alike.
Cutis
Meaning: Screw you and your whole family
Used in: India, Pakistan
Should you find yourself in India or Pakistan, wishing to
insult not just your host but your host’s entire family, look no further than
the Cutis gesture. Its origins are unknown, but its effect is swift and severe.
Simply make a fist then flick the thumb off the front teeth while exclaiming
"cutta!" (“Screw you!”). In short order, you will find himself
ejected from the premises, your mission to offend thoroughly accomplished.
Tacaño
Meaning: You're stingy
Used in: Mexico, South America
Just as the heart is associated with love, so, in many Latin
American countries, is the elbow with stinginess. In Mexico the two are so
closely linked that a miser is described as "muy codo" (very elbow),
the idea being that he rarely straightens it to pay the check. If your compadre
makes a habit of failing to pick up the check, you may wish to correct his
behaviour with this sharp gesture. For extra emphasis, bang your elbow on the
table.
Note: In Austria and Germany the same gesture means “You’re
an idiot,” suggesting that the elbow is where the subject keeps his brain.
Fishy smell
Meaning: I find you untrustworthy
Used in: Southern Italy
In business, it is important to let your associates know you
can’t be taken advantage of. This gesture informs them you are on to their
attempts to deceive. To perform, move your nose side to side with the index and
middle finger. The movement suggests that something stinks, and you are trying
to rid yourself of the odor.
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