Multicultural Mannerisms

“OK” Sign

The gesture made by circling thumb and forefinger, with the middle, ring, and pinky fingers extended, has a couple of other meanings than the original “okay” we're most familiar with.

In most western countries, it’s a way to depict the number three and, surprisingly a way to indicate the number seven in China, and in Australia, it means “zero”. It is also regularly used by divers to indicate that all is well with their diving partners.

However, in Latin America, the gesture is extremely rude as experienced by Richard Nixon, who after flashing it to a large crowd of Brazilians awaiting his arrival in Rio de Janeiro responded to his greeting, with a chorus of “boos”. Similarly, in France, this action is also considered to be offensive and in New Zealand, the user is basically considered to be lazy.

In Japan, however, the okay gesture means money, which could lead to confusion if you use it to indicate everything's okay while you're in the country.

Peace Sign

The V sign, created by lifting the index and middle finger and separating them to create a “V” shape means peace and victory in some countries. However, in the commonwealth nations, namely, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom - it's an insult of the first order if you make the same gesture but with your palm facing inward. It is used to signify defiance, contempt, or derision to higher authorities. In fairness, it's not likely to offend many people these days but could be taken the wrong way, so it is best to use it carefully and not at all if possible.

“Come here” Gesture

Facing your palm up and curling an index finger toward yourself is commonly understood as a “beckoning” gesture. It means something like “come here” in most counties however in the Philippines, this gesture is considered offensive, as this style of beckoning is used to call dogs. Using it when referring to another person is akin to calling them lesser or animalistic. In fact, this gesture is deemed so bad that you can actually get arrested for using it.

“Corona Hand Gesture”/ “Hang Loose” Hand Sign

The “hang loose” gesture which is when only the thumb and the pinky are in the air with the other three fingers folded down and the “corona hand” gesture which consists of only the index and little finger pointed upwards, may be considered as something cool and generally optimistic in countries such as the United States or in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. However, in numerous European countries, it represents the sign of the devil. Moreover, it is said to indicate that one’s spouse is cheating on them with public knowledge in countries like Italy, Brazil, Cuba, Spain and Portugal.

Using “hang loose” or any other form of gesture that resembles horns is supposed to represent a castrated bull. The fact that it is compared to such a situation is proof enough of its power to offend.

Thumbs Up!

Thumbs up is perhaps one of the most common gestures used today in the world. The gesture is so prevalent that it's used extensively as an emoji on various social media platforms, as well as for customer service ratings to portray satisfaction. In the American and some European cultures, this gesture is frequently used as a signal representing an agreement or approval towards something co-related.

In Australia, although the gesture means all is fine and good but can be thought of in the exact opposite way if the user moves it up and down, which would directly be considered as something derogatory. Furthermore, in many Islamic and Asian countries, it is considered an insult. Just like the middle finger is profane in the United States, similarly, in Iran and Afghanistan, the thumb is the secular one. Additionally, in some parts of the world, this particular gesture means to spin/sit on the thumb and to top it off with a gratifying smile, makes the whole situation a dreadful one.

The Fig Sign

This gesture uses a thumb wedged between two fingers and has much contrasting meaning in various countries. For example, in Turkey and Russia, it is equivalent to the portrayal the middle finger brings about in the USA and is also used to show disagreement towards a statement or to deny a request. Similarly, in Japan, this gesture signifies sexual intercourse or an indication of a personal relationship.

However, in many countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Spain, Denmark, Czech Republic, this gesture has no obscene meaning and is instead used in a game where a person “steals” someone else’s nose. Moreover, in Brazil, it is used as a good luck sign to evict the evil eye and jealousy.