+filipamd oh no i didnt know about that! This was in the context of being fidgety, and my dad used to tell me to stop doing it. But thanks for sharing this!
Don't know about west but in eastern europe ''the fig'' is also used (or atleast was) by cheapskates or, when referring to kids, someone that could share ,for example snacks or toys but doesn't. It's almost never used nowadays, anyway.
I'm from Thailand and so many foreigners keep telling me the thumbs up is a bad gesture, but I've never heard that before. My friends and I always do it, especially after Facebook "like" symbol made it common haha. In many Thai LINE stickers you can always find a thumbs up one. People will assume you mean "good" or "okay" if you use it
Have to agree with you, my girlfriend is Thai and her and family have never heard of this one. Even in more remote parts like Nong Bua Lam Phu I encountered no one who thought of thumbs up as meaning "I hate you". It's a universal gesture of all good or that everything is OK. Pointing at something using your foot or closing the fridge/cupboards etc with the foot and touching someone on the head is considered as much more offensive gestures in Thailand.
Yeah! The pointing/touching with your foot or showing/touching someone with the bottom of your foot is far more rude and should have been in this video instead of the thumbs up~
+TahmNong I think these girls are talking about the thumb gesture children do when they are saying 'i'm angry/mad at u now' and the little finger representing 'let's make up'. only thing is these girls don't really know what the gestures really mean and in what situation it is used, and so inteprete it wrong.
Agree with you Nong Nong. And it's considered as childish thing to do, so no one take it seriously anyway. ps. I havn't seen anyone use "thumb up" as "I hate you" for years. 555
"Patting the head" is a sign of love in my culture. It's used to stop a person from crying or just a sign of affection and bond. Like if my little sister was crying, I'd try to cheer her up and pat her head and say "love love" (love you), and reassure her that she was ok.
I'm from Thailand and I think the thumb up gesture is a bad thing only for kids. Most kids will thumb up to their friends when they are mad at them but for adults it means good or cool like other countries.
OMG "The Fig" is a sign of wishing/attracting good luck here in Brazil We even have tiny fig statues for good luck, or you can have a fig pendant in you bracelet, or necklace
The fig is a sign of sexual activities in Indonesia haha so the thumb is the Mr. P and when you put it in the midde of your index and middle finger, it symbolizes the penetrating activity 😂 But in the Dutch colonializatio era, it is used by the Dutch as the "good luck" gesture hehe
In relation to The Fig: "In many countries, such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, this sign has no obscene meaning and is instead used in a game where you "steal" someones nose. You will usually do this with small children where you pretend to take their nose and then say "I've got your nose". The thumb represents the "stolen" nose held between your index and middle finger." Wikipdeia
+FrostyTheWolf God She's okay! It's acceptable where we live anyway. It doesn't affect her mobility. It mostly happens when she's been sitting for a long time.
No take her wherever she wants be proud and never care about what they think! I personally don't find the gesture offensive but for those who think so, your mom isn't doing it on purpose it's all good :)
I know that in many places, including Japan, they are more lenient when foreigners do things that are considered rude or unusual in their country because obviously they don't know what natives to the country do. Honestly, it'd be super rude of people to expect tourists to automatically know their customs anyway.
I do that leg shaking gesture when I'm bored or pissed off because of waiting. People are haters and they are quick to judge but oh well..I always dance to my tune anyways not like it matters.
I am shaking my legs always not because of nervousness, i just want to move my legs to improve circulation. Most people stuck in a desk jobs usually do this. I see to it that I'm all alone when i do this though.
left handed passing was once also considered rude in the USA. I don't know if that has changed with the advent of the drive thru and greater acceptance of left-handedness.
Interesting thought that drive-thru (and, earlier, drive-ins?) might have played a role in the acceptance of left-handedness. It is also the case that left-handed kids in the USA used frequently to be encouraged or forced to switch to using the right hand in school and/or at home up until around the 1950s or 1960s (and sometimes after that). I hadn't thought of this before, but the greater acceptance of left-handed writers came about about the same time that cheap ballpoint pens (which Americans do NOT call biros!) became plentiful and replaced dip and fountain pens in the classroom. Those pre-ballpoint pens favored righties, since they were much less likely to smear the still-wet ink when writing from right to left. (Lefties could partly get around the problem by holding the paper at an extreme angle.)
SmoothRide not really. It depends on the type of anxiety and the cause . Some is conditioned but environmental and other types is harder to get rid of . With environmental people should just learn to hide the ‘reaction’ .
In Poland crossing pointing and middle fingers(mainly behind your back or under the desk) is a sign that you are avoiding telling the truth or at least not tell whole truth oraz you hopes your lie stay in secret. like you sends "sorry, its a lie i hopes it'll be firgiven & forgotten"
another one i heard about but havent yet checked for confirmation is the 'peace' sign with two fingers. in the US its common to see it both palm forward and back of hand forward. either way. but i think in the UK if you do it with the back of your hand forward its seen as a sign of flipping the bird to someone. correct me if in wrong.
Apropos these cultural differences, there was a rather politically incorrect episode of the sitcom "Are You Being Served" (was there any other kind?) in which they got into a situation that they had to get out of by telling some visiting Japanese businessmen that the back-of-the-hand-forward V was "the English workingman's salute". Hilarity ensued.
In Italy we do the last one gesture (expecially to kids), exemple: before you touch the nose of the other person, then do that gesture and say "Look I take your nose! Now you don't have one until you don't open my hand!" It's only a stupid game to do with very little kids.
Just showed my Thai mom the thumbs up gesture, and asked her "what does this mean?". She replied back with "good.". Then I told her that you guys said that it means "I hate you.". She called it nonsense....
Ha! The last one is the "I got your nose!" gesture. Do people still do that trick with little kids? (Pretend you've snatched their nose off and have it in your hand?) I guess when I say it out loud it sounds kind of mean but....still hilarious. Hur!
wow, I came across this website that explained that, statistically, leg shaking and nail biting were actually signs of someone who thinks too much or a sign of being a perfectionist. I learn something new about different cultures each day lol
The thumb between the middle finger & the index finger is a letter of the alphabet in ASL (American Sign Language). I forget which letter, because I'm not fluent in ASL, but what if you're deaf &/or mute & need to use that letter to communicate a specific sign/word?
Thumb between index and middle is the letter T. If shook (at the wrist), it means toilet or bathroom. Thumb between middle finger and ring finger is the letter N. Thumb between ring finger and pinky is the letter M. Those signs are for Americans. Other places will have their own signs. And, actually, there are different signs for the same meanings here in America alone as well. Some signs are different due to what kind of sign language you are using (ASL, English, contact) and then some signs are regional.
The Fig is also used by adults when playing with young children. You reach for a child's nose and when you pull your hand away you place the fingers and thumb in the same formation and tell the child you have their nose.
Oh really? Haha I thought 'all of them are Chinese' at first because this show's title is 'Off the great wall'. Then I got to think 'Maybe that short hair girl is Korean, her way to talk English is Korean way'. Now I got to know that Felicia and Mia are both not Chinese, and Mia is not Korean! Wao... Maybe other 2 guys are not Chinese either? ㅇㅅㅇ
The last gesture is most often used in the U.S. (at least as far as I know) with little children. Parents or other adults would sometimes grab a child's nose with the index and middle finger, then when they would pull it away, they'd place their thumb there and say, "I've got your nose." After that, they would reverse the process to "put back" the child's nose.
I shake my legs because I have restless leg syndrome and another chronic illness that makes my legs cramp and I have to move them. good to know people see it as uneducational
The "fig" hand gesture you demonstrated is rarely used in modern day Western culture, but it is a Western culture hand gesture as well. We call it the mano fico (fig hand) and is associated with the Roman era. It was used for magical protection against the evil eye. It still has a strong connection in the metaphysical communities and is more oftenly used for general protection.
I don't have any new gestures to add, but I would like to share some similarities and an interesting fact. In Catholism, we were always taught to wipe with our left and shake with our right because using the left hand is sinful. This makes sense to me because in traditional Catholic school children are always taught to write with their right hand. Otherwise, the nuns would use corrective action by hitting your left hand with a ruler. Among Chinese Elders, giving something using two hands is considered very respectful. Also, among Chinese Elders, at least those in the Guangdong area, shaking tour legs is considered rude and impolite. Speaking of which, which also brings me to the interesting fact; shaking your legs can indicate an insecure attachment from early early childhood.
fuck i sceriously don't understand the prescriptive of peoples i am a left handed and wgen sat dwon to eat food on various occasion and if someone points and says he is a left handed , i become so embarassed, was it my fault i got end up with left hand ,Why the fuck is the worl so fucking twisted?
I was originally left handed, I naturally grabbed the pencil with my left hand. but my parents smacked me around till I wrote with my right. Great parents I have.
In Africa, Nigeria specifically, you don't give things with your left hands because lefty is a no no. Also, you don't touch someones head either. Also, putting your hand up without waving means somethings like "insulting your mother".
It's same in India with the left hand. In India we always do things with our right hand as it's considered clean also when we eat we use our right hand
In the western world we do do the "The Fig" when we pretend to steal someone's nose, usually a child's. You go to pinch their nose and say "I've gotcha nose" whilst showing the hand gesture.
Left handed rule is also applicable in South Asia (India, Nepal, Pakistan, etc.) for the same reason. Found this out in Nepal after eating food with my left hand and people were laughing at me, haha.
+MC.W TV，Hmmm ⋯⋯ why does a saying come to mind which goes like, "Everything is permissible but not everything is good and beneficial." I think you might be a little wrong in your theory? Anyway, you can't do anything you like in the west. There is such a thing as LAWS!! Or am I wrong? Are you saying that that is the concept that is taught? At least where you live? Sorry if I misunderstood... I guess you'll forgive me？超膽子^_^
In some parts of Europe ( the UK and Ireland I think), do not do a peace sign with your palm facing towards yourself, because it means fu. The middle finger is fairly rude but kind of overused now. Thumbs up in Italy is also like the middle finger in the US. In Spain, if you use the 'devil horns' (index and pinkie finger up, middle and ring finger held down by thumb) you are calling a guy an ignorant cuckold. Also in Italy is if you pinch your nose, you are calling someone a liar, or someone is spewing bs.
'Thumbs up in Italy is also like the middle finger in the US.' ? Not at all. In Italy thumbs up and middle finger have the same meaning as in the US. No difference at all.
Thumbs up in Italy is a thumb in the middle of the air. It has no specific meaning except for thise who watch lots of TV and know its american meaning. We traditionally use the horn sign (fingers folded except index and pinkie sticking up).
Not quite true. In the US, I once declined to have a small talk with the cashier which is something very normal in pretty much the whole Asia Pacific and everybody around looked at me like I was rude af. Another time I finished a small transaction and offered a thank but did not offer a handshake (never occurred to me to do so, never a part of the business etiquette I grew up with), the other party looked at me like I was some uncivilized hobo. If those things were to happen in any part of Asia Pacific no one would bat an eye. Point is, these non-verbal cues mean different things in different places. And in the West there are also things that shouldn't be done as well. It's just that people who always live there may never realize it.
The left hand usage that you mentioned is also bad in Saudi Arabia. My dad was CFO for this construction company in the 1970's and his boss, the CEO, was a Left-Handed person. They were invited to dinner by one of the Prince upon signing a major construction contract ( worth about $ 27 Million). My dad had to tell his boss to keep his left hand under the seat.
I left Vietnam in 1975 when I was 7. I don't remember any one told me that crossing your fingers have any negative meaning. I don't hear it from ny brothers, sisters, and parents either.
Oh! The fig sign is also used in Europe as well! Also, in the US if you cross your fingers behind your back it means you are lying. Doing it while promising to do something means you are not going to do it, or that you don't actually mean in.
Right hand is for eating, left is for wiping - you don't want to eat with your wiping hand- because the water isn't clean if there is any water to wash with at all.
Another Thai here, the thumb up is nothing to be worried about unless you are a preschool yourself. Its meaning is exactly what Mia explained, so is the ring finger for reconciliation.
"The fig" is the symbol for"t" in American sign language and is also commonly used in elementary school for a sign to show you have to use the restroom.
The fig gesture is actually how you sign the letter T in sign language, in between the middle and ring finger is the N and in between the ring and pinky finger is the M.
In Japan: Never point to a person. When you want to indicate a person, use an open hand and point your hand to that person.When you want to wave someone over to where you are at, in other words, asking him to come here. Never point your fingers upwards to wave him over. Japanese do that when they rub a dogs neck. Point your fingers down and wave him over.
The first one is actually only for children! As adults will recognize that the thumb up with a smile means "good" internationally. So it's ok to do so! With context, of course!
In Thailand, children only do thumps up when they joke around with friends. It's not an offensive gesture at all. In fact, I do not really see they do that anymore.
That last gesture ''The fig'' is a gesture against the evil eye in Sicily and one of the few pagan signs that survived the fall of Rome. I have a necklace of it in Rose wood and a few weeks I saw some one sell an 19th century auctioneer hammer with the gesture on it for ALLOT of money. The other sign against the evil eye (making the horns) is now mostly used in Metal concerts. Just funny how cultures differ.
The two Japanese ones, One hand giving and shaking your legs, is so true. I'm half Japanese so like everytime I give something in one hand to like for example my grandparents, I always have to remind myself to give the gift in two hands. For the shaking legs, I always like do it in restaurants when I'm like hungry and stuff but like when my mom sees this happening.. She'll say : No no. Don't do that. That's impolite;and stuff like that.
indeed i always say "excuse me" or "sorry" if i have to hand something with my left hand because my right hand is occupied.. it becomes a habit for me, like i do it automatically without thinking
Actually giving someone something with your right hand is considered rude in many muslim societies. Its a manner adopted from Islam, we give things and eat, and shake hands with our right hand in many places in Africa :)
+Off the Great Wall, one thing which is very rude in England, but seems perfectly acceptable in almost every other country, is doing the "peace" sign the other way round. So, when we do the number two on our hands, those who have more understanding of the meaning, will have their two fingers together. For example, I have seen many tourists do the sign for peace （or 耶！in China）, for photos. Now if it is done the other way round in England it is considered extremely rude, because there was some kind of scrum with the French (obviously...), and that sign was to show that the two fingers were not cut off as promised so now, it is like swearing at someone to do the two fingers apart, and the other way round, at anyone. It that so in the US? I know in China it means "yeah!" （耶！） but what about other places? 超膽子^_^
you're probably talking about the victory sign. actually, a lot of people don't even know about it and confuse it with the peace sign all the time. especially teens think either way it's just "peace" xD they aren't even aware
The thumb is known as "bong" in Thai. The gesture of bonging is used by kids when they are angry at friends. Never used by adults hence not really offensive
I have MS and tend to shake my legs a lot. It's either that or my whole body has tremors. But generally when I get bored quickly I tend to do it more. So if I were stuck listening to a long presentation then I might do it. It does help keep you focused actually.
I went to Japan and I couldn't put out both hands because I'm a one handed person who wears a prosthetic and can't lift it... I plan to go to Japan again and I'm not sure what to do because just glancing at me you can't tell but then I come off as rude??
Interesting. About the last gesture. (the fig / thumb between index and middle finger) In American Sign Language that gesture (with thumb pointing upwards) is the letter "n". The gesture with the thumb between your middle and ring finger is the letter "m". Notice the similarities between the single "hump" of a lowercase "n" and the bad hand gesture?
// what if you are shaking your leg or foot because your ADD. . . also the crossing of your fingers is either good luck or an action to get out of a promise
omg! I'm polish and my grandmother taught me the fig gesture when i was little, it means something like 'get lost', or sometimes when the person asks you to give them something and you are not giving it to them you say 'have a fig', it's quite rude tho. I would have never guessed the gesture is used in Asia
Entertaining as ever! Thank you, ladies. I've a feeling that "the fig" is Italian. I've seen left hand on right elbow and raise right forearm, again (I think) Italian, and I am curious as to whether that means anything in Far East. Another one that flummoxes many visiting good old Blighty [ where? one of you knows! ;-) ] is two fingers raised in a victory V, which I see many Chinese girls doing in online, but this one is in reverse (like flipping someone off, but with the index finger raised as well. If you knos where it came from, great! If you don't, reach out (er, American phrase?) and I'll tell you! Love the laughter!
I think I remember reading that the don't give something with your left hand is a tradition from a time when they didn't have toilet paper, and couldn't wash there hands often.
I used to live in China when i was younger with my grandparents. I am a lefty. In school the teachers would always force me to write with my right hand. I use chopsticks at home, my grandma would force me to use my right hand. As of now i livd in the states, i could eat with my right hand but write and do everything else with my left.
Thumb between index and middle finger (the fig): In Russia (which actually is part of Asia) and probably all the ex-Soviet republics and maybe even more countries in that region (Turkey, etc.) .... that gesture is the same as the U.S.A. gesture of sticking up your middle finger. So it definitely spread much further than just southeast Asia.
I've never heard of thumbs up gesture being rude in Thailand. I've already seen many Thais do it and it's fine and it's commonly used icon/sticker in Facebook and Line. One thing I've learned is never touch their head (especially if you aren't really close with them) or never touch the head of someone older than you because it's disrespectful. But someone younger than you is fine (again you have to be close or friends with them to do that) I've confirmed that with a thai friend of mine. In Philippines, curling your finger is ok to do with close friends especially when friends joke around but don't do that with strangers or someone who you just met because it's rude.
I shake my leg because I dont like the feeling of being sedentary. I feel like sitting for a while makes my body feel strange to me. I often pace also. I like to feel my muscles working for me. I would have so much trouble sitting still if it were for long hours. Is pacing considered rude?
My boyfriend is 100% thai and one guy did it towards him once. My boyfriend beated him to death and then the guy came back to life and gave him thumbs up. So now they live happily ever after.
well if i shake my legs in japan....on their fuji q roller coaster then is that normal because i do have a reason to be scared or is it still a bad thing
Some people don't shake their leg intentionally or out of nerviousness. I think it's called Restless Leg Syndrome and it can run in families. It runs in my family. I will unintentionally shake my leg. There are also people with ADHD. People in the Western world don't normally shake their legs either and find it weird too. The people that do often do, because they have Restless Leg Syndrome or have a condition of some kind. Just something to keep in mind.
I'm Mexican but live in Hawaii and we have every Asian. Filipinos find the thumb between the middle and index finger offensive. my wife was from Thailand (rip) so I have some more for you. when you meet someone older you put your hands together as if praying and bow, if younger only one hand and just a little nod of your head. also pointing at something with your feet is very rude. never put your feet on a pillow used for the head. never step over food. NEVER EVER step on rice, rice means life that would be like stepping on Buddhas head.
when watching moorim school the guy who is from tailand says it is rude to pat someone on the head i see why now but how do they watch anime?! the characters always do that
Shaking your leg is a Restless Leg Syndrome. Its not always for nervousness. Some people do it unconsciously when they're excited.
Yes! They were so unnecessarily mean about it too lol.
+filipamd oh no i didnt know about that! This was in the context of being fidgety, and my dad used to tell me to stop doing it. But thanks for sharing this!
I just do it for fun.
I was told that shaking your legs, especially for guys, means you are either low class, horny or both.
8Clowny That's stupid. Who shakes their legs when they're horny ?
in western culture, the only times I know of that people use "the fig" gesture is when they're playing the "got your nose" game
interesting.. i've only known it as an offensive gesture all this time. and Felicia doesn't even know what that means -- Mia
Off the Great Wall Do you know the "got your nose" game is?
Don't know about west but in eastern europe ''the fig'' is also used (or atleast was) by cheapskates or, when referring to kids, someone that could share ,for example snacks or toys but doesn't. It's almost never used nowadays, anyway.
Mikelis vilcens Sorry, I should have said "in America"
we do the fig and the got your nose game in western europe too
I'm from Thailand and so many foreigners keep telling me the thumbs up is a bad gesture, but I've never heard that before. My friends and I always do it, especially after Facebook "like" symbol made it common haha. In many Thai LINE stickers you can always find a thumbs up one. People will assume you mean "good" or "okay" if you use it
Have to agree with you, my girlfriend is Thai and her and family have never heard of this one. Even in more remote parts like Nong Bua Lam Phu I encountered no one who thought of thumbs up as meaning "I hate you". It's a universal gesture of all good or that everything is OK.
Pointing at something using your foot or closing the fridge/cupboards etc with the foot and touching someone on the head is considered as much more offensive gestures in Thailand.
Yeah! The pointing/touching with your foot or showing/touching someone with the bottom of your foot is far more rude and should have been in this video instead of the thumbs up~
+TahmNong I think these girls are talking about the thumb gesture children do when they are saying 'i'm angry/mad at u now' and the little finger representing 'let's make up'. only thing is these girls don't really know what the gestures really mean and in what situation it is used, and so inteprete it wrong.
Agree with you Nong Nong. And it's considered as childish thing to do, so no one take it seriously anyway. ps. I havn't seen anyone use "thumb up" as "I hate you" for years. 555
yet the fig sign in Indonesia is true
the fig is extremely offensive in Turkey too...it's like the equivalent of the middle finger
lol in many parts of europe and in america is used for the "got your nose" game
In Russia as well
In Lithuania also
Southern Italy, offensive too
In Romania it means that you get ZERO of "something" and is usually accompanied by the saying 'ciuciu"
"Patting the head" is a sign of love in my culture. It's used to stop a person from crying or just a sign of affection and bond. Like if my little sister was crying, I'd try to cheer her up and pat her head and say "love love" (love you), and reassure her that she was ok.
I'm from Thailand and I think the thumb up gesture is a bad thing only for kids. Most kids will thumb up to their friends when they are mad at them but for adults it means good or cool like other countries.
lol yeah i did that too when i was mad at my sister back when we were little in indonesia. not sure how we picked that one up. -- Mia
OMG "The Fig" is a sign of wishing/attracting good luck here in Brazil
We even have tiny fig statues for good luck, or you can have a fig pendant in you bracelet, or necklace
very informative, thanks for sharing this information. good to know info about such a lovely country.
Lol don't go to japan
Indonesia
Its an offensive gesture to most Asian countries. It literally means clit or female genitalia.
The fig is a sign of sexual activities in Indonesia haha so the thumb is the Mr. P and when you put it in the midde of your index and middle finger, it symbolizes the penetrating activity 😂 But in the Dutch colonializatio era, it is used by the Dutch as the "good luck" gesture hehe
In relation to The Fig: "In many countries, such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, this sign has no obscene meaning and is instead used in a game where you "steal" someones nose. You will usually do this with small children where you pretend to take their nose and then say "I've got your nose". The thumb represents the "stolen" nose held between your index and middle finger." Wikipdeia
In Germany the fig is a game you play with children. You are mockingly "stealing" their nose.
Same in the U.S but I don't think there was ever a name for it
That hand gesture is also the American Sign Language for bathroom
It is also played in the UK. You joke about nicking a childs nose and the thumb is supposed to look like the nose in your fingers.
we do that in Brazil too!
blarg69man ok
My mom has a mild neurological disorders that makes her shake her legs. Guess I'm never taking her to Japan... lmao
xd
I feel bad for her
+FrostyTheWolf God She's okay! It's acceptable where we live anyway. It doesn't affect her mobility. It mostly happens when she's been sitting for a long time.
No take her wherever she wants be proud and never care about what they think! I personally don't find the gesture offensive but for those who think so, your mom isn't doing it on purpose it's all good :)
I know that in many places, including Japan, they are more lenient when foreigners do things that are considered rude or unusual in their country because obviously they don't know what natives to the country do. Honestly, it'd be super rude of people to expect tourists to automatically know their customs anyway.
I do that leg shaking gesture when I'm bored or pissed off because of waiting. People are haters and they are quick to judge but oh well..I always dance to my tune anyways not like it matters.
I am shaking my legs always not because of nervousness, i just want to move my legs to improve circulation. Most people stuck in a desk jobs usually do this. I see to it that I'm all alone when i do this though.
left handed passing was once also considered rude in the USA. I don't know if that has changed with the advent of the drive thru and greater acceptance of left-handedness.
Interesting thought that drive-thru (and, earlier, drive-ins?) might have played a role in the acceptance of left-handedness.
It is also the case that left-handed kids in the USA used frequently to be encouraged or forced to switch to using the right hand in school and/or at home up until around the 1950s or 1960s (and sometimes after that).
I hadn't thought of this before, but the greater acceptance of left-handed writers came about about the same time that cheap ballpoint pens (which Americans do NOT call biros!) became plentiful and replaced dip and fountain pens in the classroom.
Those pre-ballpoint pens favored righties, since they were much less likely to smear the still-wet ink when writing from right to left. (Lefties could partly get around the problem by holding the paper at an extreme angle.)
i don't appreciate how haughty they were about the leg shaking... for me, it's an anxiety thing. people often can't control it.
aisha you sound like a gambler who's in debt denying he has a gambling problem
SmoothRide not really. It depends on the type of anxiety and the cause . Some is conditioned but environmental and other types is harder to get rid of . With environmental people should just learn to hide the ‘reaction’ .
Leg shaking can mean anxiety guys. Some people have anxiety and so it's hard for them to control it. It's really sad to judge people
That last one is needed for ASL (American Sign Language) "t" o:
and for the "got your nose" game
Emphasis on American...
We just can't do anything internationally can we, always gotta be a special snowflake. >_
and the gesture for "bathroom" or "toilet" in ASL is making a "t" and shaking it back and forth! : D
PongoXBongo, seriously, where did you people get the word snowflake? I see it everywhere of social media now.
I shake my leg when i need to pee lmao 😂😂
so does my dad. We call it "the toilet dance" in my house!!! +_+超膽子
lol, the toilet dance
I shake my ass when I need joint
In Poland crossing pointing and middle fingers(mainly behind your back or under the desk) is a sign that you are avoiding telling the truth or at least not tell whole truth oraz you hopes your lie stay in secret. like you sends "sorry, its a lie i hopes it'll be firgiven & forgotten"
Does that mean in Thailand you can't thumbs up on social media?
👍
another one i heard about but havent yet checked for confirmation is the 'peace' sign with two fingers. in the US its common to see it both palm forward and back of hand forward. either way. but i think in the UK if you do it with the back of your hand forward its seen as a sign of flipping the bird to someone. correct me if in wrong.
Indeed. At least in some areas. Source: friend who lived in the U.K.
Yeah that means "f*ck off" in most places in Europe and definitely in Ireland :P
Yes it is right
source:a fellow englishman / me
Apropos these cultural differences, there was a rather politically incorrect episode of the sitcom "Are You Being Served" (was there any other kind?) in which they got into a situation that they had to get out of by telling some visiting Japanese businessmen that the back-of-the-hand-forward V was "the English workingman's salute". Hilarity ensued.
The "wet toilet" is called "bidet", I was shocked when I learned that some countries didn't use them regularly.
What if your leg shakes involuntarily hey.
I miss the Chen brothers 😢
they are not Brothers, they're just friends but yeah I still miss them
they have their own channel(s): double chen and double chen news
They moved to California
they're still making vids though
Go watch their channels.
In Italy we do the last one gesture (expecially to kids), exemple: before you touch the nose of the other person, then do that gesture and say "Look I take your nose! Now you don't have one until you don't open my hand!" It's only a stupid game to do with very little kids.
Babies are not that fragile. You can pat them on the head. They're actually surprisingly robust.
ik i threw one once and it just bounced
+Devin Wintz wut
@Devin Wintz. Me too... Surprisingly mine remained alive and unhurt.
+Ikarus oo impressive
Homebirth Homeschool Homestead Lmao your profile pic
Just showed my Thai mom the thumbs up gesture, and asked her "what does this mean?". She replied back with "good.". Then I told her that you guys said that it means "I hate you.". She called it nonsense....
+Rin Srongyoo, I think it's mainly done among the children. And, it's also dependent on where you're from, if it's rude or not。超膽子^^
Final tip: Don't use any hand gesture anywhere.
I Love you 2 as Bff's forever & Ever You guys are Cool & Smart😎😎😍😍💚💙💙💜💜💗💗
Ha! The last one is the "I got your nose!" gesture. Do people still do that trick with little kids? (Pretend you've snatched their nose off and have it in your hand?) I guess when I say it out loud it sounds kind of mean but....still hilarious. Hur!
wow, I came across this website that explained that, statistically, leg shaking and nail biting were actually signs of someone who thinks too much or a sign of being a perfectionist. I learn something new about different cultures each day lol
you didn't mention pointing
The thumb between the middle finger & the index finger is a letter of the alphabet in ASL (American Sign Language). I forget which letter, because I'm not fluent in ASL, but what if you're deaf &/or mute & need to use that letter to communicate a specific sign/word?
+what it's the letter T if shaken it also means toilet. Thumb between the middle and ring finger is the letter M. 😃
+what everywhere
Thumb between index and middle is the letter T. If shook (at the wrist), it means toilet or bathroom.
Thumb between middle finger and ring finger is the letter N.
Thumb between ring finger and pinky is the letter M.
Those signs are for Americans. Other places will have their own signs. And, actually, there are different signs for the same meanings here in America alone as well. Some signs are different due to what kind of sign language you are using (ASL, English, contact) and then some signs are regional.
Mia is so cute from Asian's perspective
yes she is
From every culture's perspective.
Because I am a Chinese,I am not sure other culture's sense of beauty
I'm Greek, but I consider her really cute💖
+t md yes they are
2 minutes in this video and i already Love it!
yay :)
The only time we do that last one is when we're playing "got your nose" with a kid
The Fig is also used by adults when playing with young children. You reach for a child's nose and when you pull your hand away you place the fingers and thumb in the same formation and tell the child you have their nose.
indonesian parents be like "pake tangan yg bagus (right hand" 😂
Use the good hand haha.. And i was like 'but both of them is good'
For patting on heads, it's usually okay with children because it's seen as affectionate. You don't do it at all with adults.
Oh, I love the moment when the left girl(long beautiful brown hair girl) says 'poop!'
Hahahaha
Oh, she is Felicia. At the end all of you sitting in one screen and shows your name. Thanks! I thought Felicia is Chinese and Mia is from Korea.
+James Bond nope, Mia is from Indonesia
Oh really? Haha I thought 'all of them are Chinese' at first because this show's title is 'Off the great wall'. Then I got to think 'Maybe that short hair girl is Korean, her way to talk English is Korean way'.
Now I got to know that Felicia and Mia are both not Chinese, and Mia is not Korean! Wao... Maybe other 2 guys are not Chinese either? ㅇㅅㅇ
+James Bond I mean she is chinese but she is from Indonesia and I'm pretty sure that Felicia chinese aswell :D
Feliciano is half Vietnamese and half Chinese. Mia is full Chinese, but raised in Indonesia.
The last gesture is most often used in the U.S. (at least as far as I know) with little children. Parents or other adults would sometimes grab a child's nose with the index and middle finger, then when they would pull it away, they'd place their thumb there and say, "I've got your nose." After that, they would reverse the process to "put back" the child's nose.
I think I've given the thumbs up while in Thailand and not used two hands in Japan!!
xD
I shake my legs because I have restless leg syndrome and another chronic illness that makes my legs cramp and I have to move them. good to know people see it as uneducational
Hey I'm really early !
Hi, Really Early, I'm Dad.
Eagle Stomach 😂
Zeynep Demir Daddy (Lenny face)
The "fig" hand gesture you demonstrated is rarely used in modern day Western culture, but it is a Western culture hand gesture as well. We call it the mano fico (fig hand) and is associated with the Roman era. It was used for magical protection against the evil eye. It still has a strong connection in the metaphysical communities and is more oftenly used for general protection.
Okay Felicia, you really look like Nada. Especially when she's without makeup.
Hahah you're talking about the Unpretty Rapstar contestant right?
+Off the Great Wall Yes!
in korea, you have to pass things over to someone whilst holding your elbow too.
We must just look like the world's biggest jerks
Yup.
I don't have any new gestures to add, but I would like to share some similarities and an interesting fact. In Catholism, we were always taught to wipe with our left and shake with our right because using the left hand is sinful. This makes sense to me because in traditional Catholic school children are always taught to write with their right hand. Otherwise, the nuns would use corrective action by hitting your left hand with a ruler.
Among Chinese Elders, giving something using two hands is considered very respectful. Also, among Chinese Elders, at least those in the Guangdong area, shaking tour legs is considered rude and impolite. Speaking of which, which also brings me to the interesting fact; shaking your legs can indicate an insecure attachment from early early childhood.
fuck i sceriously don't understand the prescriptive of peoples i am a left handed and wgen sat dwon to eat food on various occasion and if someone points and says he is a left handed , i become so embarassed,
was it my fault i got end up with left hand ,Why the fuck is the worl so fucking twisted?
I was originally left handed, I naturally grabbed the pencil with my left hand. but my parents smacked me around till I wrote with my right. Great parents I have.
In Africa, Nigeria specifically, you don't give things with your left hands because lefty is a no no. Also, you don't touch someones head either.
Also, putting your hand up without waving means somethings like "insulting your mother".
felicia is gorgeous!!!!
It's same in India with the left hand. In India we always do things with our right hand as it's considered clean also when we eat we use our right hand
In the western world we do do the "The Fig" when we pretend to steal someone's nose, usually a child's. You go to pinch their nose and say "I've gotcha nose" whilst showing the hand gesture.
but in Japan they have half hour workouts at most work and school.
leg shaking is usually lack of physical activity
Wait what who uses their left hand to poop
It's for those who lack toilet paper; they need to wipe with something.
Many asian cultures use their left hand and water to wash their buttcrack.
Left handed rule is also applicable in South Asia (India, Nepal, Pakistan, etc.) for the same reason. Found this out in Nepal after eating food with my left hand and people were laughing at me, haha.
in asia don't do this don't do that but in western DO ANYTHING YOU LIKE😂
+MC.W TV，Hmmm ⋯⋯ why does a saying come to mind which goes like, "Everything is permissible but not everything is good and beneficial." I think you might be a little wrong in your theory? Anyway, you can't do anything you like in the west. There is such a thing as LAWS!! Or am I wrong? Are you saying that that is the concept that is taught? At least where you live? Sorry if I misunderstood... I guess you'll forgive me？超膽子^_^
In some parts of Europe ( the UK and Ireland I think), do not do a peace sign with your palm facing towards yourself, because it means fu. The middle finger is fairly rude but kind of overused now. Thumbs up in Italy is also like the middle finger in the US. In Spain, if you use the 'devil horns' (index and pinkie finger up, middle and ring finger held down by thumb) you are calling a guy an ignorant cuckold. Also in Italy is if you pinch your nose, you are calling someone a liar, or someone is spewing bs.
'Thumbs up in Italy is also like the middle finger in the US.' ?
Not at all.
In Italy thumbs up and middle finger have the same meaning as in the US. No difference at all.
Thumbs up in Italy is a thumb in the middle of the air. It has no specific meaning except for thise who watch lots of TV and know its american meaning. We traditionally use the horn sign (fingers folded except index and pinkie sticking up).
Not quite true. In the US, I once declined to have a small talk with the cashier which is something very normal in pretty much the whole Asia Pacific and everybody around looked at me like I was rude af. Another time I finished a small transaction and offered a thank but did not offer a handshake (never occurred to me to do so, never a part of the business etiquette I grew up with), the other party looked at me like I was some uncivilized hobo. If those things were to happen in any part of Asia Pacific no one would bat an eye.
Point is, these non-verbal cues mean different things in different places. And in the West there are also things that shouldn't be done as well. It's just that people who always live there may never realize it.
The left hand usage that you mentioned is also bad in Saudi Arabia. My dad was CFO for this construction company in the 1970's and his boss, the CEO, was a Left-Handed person. They were invited to dinner by one of the Prince upon signing a major construction contract ( worth about $ 27 Million). My dad had to tell his boss to keep his left hand under the seat.
Asian women are beautiful
I left Vietnam in 1975 when I was 7. I don't remember any one told me that crossing your fingers have any negative meaning.
I don't hear it from ny brothers, sisters, and parents either.
Oh! The fig sign is also used in Europe as well! Also, in the US if you cross your fingers behind your back it means you are lying. Doing it while promising to do something means you are not going to do it, or that you don't actually mean in.
i dont shake my legs on purpose. it just happens when i am cocentrated..
Right hand is for eating, left is for wiping - you don't want to eat with your wiping hand- because the water isn't clean if there is any water to wash with at all.
I shake my leg because it's uncomfortable when I don't feels internally itchy in a way idk why
Another Thai here, the thumb up is nothing to be worried about unless you are a preschool yourself. Its meaning is exactly what Mia explained, so is the ring finger for reconciliation.
"The fig" is the symbol for"t" in American sign language and is also commonly used in elementary school for a sign to show you have to use the restroom.
The fig gesture is actually how you sign the letter T in sign language, in between the middle and ring finger is the N and in between the ring and pinky finger is the M.
In Japan: Never point to a person. When you want to indicate a person, use an open hand and point your hand to that person.When you want to wave someone over to where you are at, in other words, asking him to come here. Never point your fingers upwards to wave him over. Japanese do that when they rub a dogs neck. Point your fingers down and wave him over.
The first one is actually only for children! As adults will recognize that the thumb up with a smile means "good" internationally. So it's ok to do so! With context, of course!
In Thailand, children only do thumps up when they joke around with friends. It's not an offensive gesture at all. In fact, I do not really see they do that anymore.
That last gesture ''The fig'' is a gesture against the evil eye in Sicily and one of the few pagan signs that survived the fall of Rome. I have a necklace of it in Rose wood and a few weeks I saw some one sell an 19th century auctioneer hammer with the gesture on it for ALLOT of money. The other sign against the evil eye (making the horns) is now mostly used in Metal concerts. Just funny how cultures differ.
In Hungary we do "the fig" it's called: Fityisz and it means the same as giving the middle finger to someone. but we use both gestures.
The "mini toilet" is a bidet girls. Also, they clean their bottoms with their left hand and it's therefore considered unsanitary and disrespectful.
The two Japanese ones, One hand giving and shaking your legs, is so true. I'm half Japanese so like everytime I give something in one hand to like for example my grandparents, I always have to remind myself to give the gift in two hands. For the shaking legs, I always like do it in restaurants when I'm like hungry and stuff but like when my mom sees this happening.. She'll say : No no. Don't do that. That's impolite;and stuff like that.
indeed i always say "excuse me" or "sorry" if i have to hand something with my left hand because my right hand is occupied.. it becomes a habit for me, like i do it automatically without thinking
Actually giving someone something with your right hand is considered rude in many muslim societies. Its a manner adopted from Islam, we give things and eat, and shake hands with our right hand in many places in Africa :)
+Off the Great Wall, one thing which is very rude in England, but seems perfectly acceptable in almost every other country, is doing the "peace" sign the other way round. So, when we do the number two on our hands, those who have more understanding of the meaning, will have their two fingers together. For example, I have seen many tourists do the sign for peace （or 耶！in China）, for photos. Now if it is done the other way round in England it is considered extremely rude, because there was some kind of scrum with the French (obviously...), and that sign was to show that the two fingers were not cut off as promised so now, it is like swearing at someone to do the two fingers apart, and the other way round, at anyone. It that so in the US? I know in China it means "yeah!" （耶！） but what about other places? 超膽子^_^
you're probably talking about the victory sign. actually, a lot of people don't even know about it and confuse it with the peace sign all the time. especially teens think either way it's just "peace" xD they aren't even aware
The thumb is known as "bong" in Thai. The gesture of bonging is used by kids when they are angry at friends. Never used by adults hence not really offensive
I have MS and tend to shake my legs a lot. It's either that or my whole body has tremors. But generally when I get bored quickly I tend to do it more. So if I were stuck listening to a long presentation then I might do it. It does help keep you focused actually.
In easter Europe the fig is usually used when you want to say "you will get nothing from me". It is considered a bit rude.
In Europe (or at least in Eastern Europe) 'the fig' means like 'I wish you good luck', or 'I hope for *something*' etc.
I went to Japan and I couldn't put out both hands because I'm a one handed person who wears a prosthetic and can't lift it... I plan to go to Japan again and I'm not sure what to do because just glancing at me you can't tell but then I come off as rude??
Say sorry as you give it
My wife and I are about to move to China. What are some hand gestures we should avoid?
Any if possible (>﹏
Interesting. About the last gesture. (the fig / thumb between index and middle finger) In American Sign Language that gesture (with thumb pointing upwards) is the letter "n". The gesture with the thumb between your middle and ring finger is the letter "m". Notice the similarities between the single "hump" of a lowercase "n" and the bad hand gesture?
The fig is done when you take someones nose?
// what if you are shaking your leg or foot because your ADD. . . also the crossing of your fingers is either good luck or an action to get out of a promise
omg! I'm polish and my grandmother taught me the fig gesture when i was little, it means something like 'get lost', or sometimes when the person asks you to give them something and you are not giving it to them you say 'have a fig', it's quite rude tho. I would have never guessed the gesture is used in Asia
Entertaining as ever! Thank you, ladies. I've a feeling that "the fig" is Italian. I've seen left hand on right elbow and raise right forearm, again (I think) Italian, and I am curious as to whether that means anything in Far East.
Another one that flummoxes many visiting good old Blighty [ where? one of you knows! ;-) ] is two fingers raised in a victory V, which I see many Chinese girls doing in online, but this one is in reverse (like flipping someone off, but with the index finger raised as well. If you knos where it came from, great! If you don't, reach out (er, American phrase?) and I'll tell you!
Love the laughter!
I think I remember reading that the don't give something with your left hand is a tradition from a time when they didn't have toilet paper, and couldn't wash there hands often.
I used to live in China when i was younger with my grandparents. I am a lefty. In school the teachers would always force me to write with my right hand. I use chopsticks at home, my grandma would force me to use my right hand. As of now i livd in the states, i could eat with my right hand but write and do everything else with my left.
Thumb between index and middle finger (the fig): In Russia (which actually is part of Asia) and probably all the ex-Soviet republics and maybe even more countries in that region (Turkey, etc.) .... that gesture is the same as the U.S.A. gesture of sticking up your middle finger. So it definitely spread much further than just southeast Asia.
I've never heard of thumbs up gesture being rude in Thailand. I've already seen many Thais do it and it's fine and it's commonly used icon/sticker in Facebook and Line. One thing I've learned is never touch their head (especially if you aren't really close with them) or never touch the head of someone older than you because it's disrespectful. But someone younger than you is fine (again you have to be close or friends with them to do that) I've confirmed that with a thai friend of mine. In Philippines, curling your finger is ok to do with close friends especially when friends joke around but don't do that with strangers or someone who you just met because it's rude.
I shake my leg because I dont like the feeling of being sedentary. I feel like sitting for a while makes my body feel strange to me. I often pace also. I like to feel my muscles working for me. I would have so much trouble sitting still if it were for long hours. Is pacing considered rude?
My boyfriend is 100% thai and one guy did it towards him once. My boyfriend beated him to death and then the guy came back to life and gave him thumbs up. So now they live happily ever after.
well if i shake my legs in japan....on their fuji q roller coaster then is that normal because i do have a reason to be scared or is it still a bad thing
I Love you Mia & Felicia My 2 Bff's & The Other Mia you 3 Are Beautiful & Lovable😍😍😘😘😊😉😉💞💞❤💗💗💗💞💖😻😻😻😇😇😇
Some people don't shake their leg intentionally or out of nerviousness. I think it's called Restless Leg Syndrome and it can run in families. It runs in my family. I will unintentionally shake my leg. There are also people with ADHD. People in the Western world don't normally shake their legs either and find it weird too. The people that do often do, because they have Restless Leg Syndrome or have a condition of some kind. Just something to keep in mind.
I'm Mexican but live in Hawaii and we have every Asian. Filipinos find the thumb between the middle and index finger offensive. my wife was from Thailand (rip) so I have some more for you. when you meet someone older you put your hands together as if praying and bow, if younger only one hand and just a little nod of your head. also pointing at something with your feet is very rude. never put your feet on a pillow used for the head. never step over food. NEVER EVER step on rice, rice means life that would be like stepping on Buddhas head.
when watching moorim school the guy who is from tailand says it is rude to pat someone on the head i see why now but how do they watch anime?! the characters always do that
I could not survive. I shake my legs frequently, often in classes or meetings. I just have trouble sitting still and it helps me focus.