Category Archives: 19F Hand Gestures

Money

Title: Money

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Phi Delta Alpha Fraternity, Dartmouth College
  • Date Collected: November 20th, 2019
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: David Arce ’21

Informant Data:

  • David Arce is a male Dartmouth student in the class of 2021. He was born and raised in Walnut Creek, CA, and currently lives in Pittsburg, CA. David is a Psychology Major and a member of the Dartmouth men’s club volleyball team.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: David learned this gesture growing up from his father, who is originally from Sinaloa, Mexico. A large portion of David’s family also still lives in Sinaloa, so he frequently visits the area. David believes that the gesture is commonly understood throughout Latin America, however; it is predominantly a Mexican gesture. The gesture does not have any variations, however; it does have a number of different interpretations based on context.

Item:

  • The gesture is performed by forming a “U” shape with the thumb and forefinger, while keeping the palm facing your chest. The gesture is most commonly understood to mean an item is expensive, being an appropriate response to somebody asking why you did not buy something, for instance. While the demonstration of the high price of an object is the main way the gesture is used, it can also be used to refer to money in general, similar to the American gesture of rubbing the thumb and forefinger together. This gesture is also common among merchants. After buying an item in Mexico or other Latin American countries, the merchant may use this gesture towards other nearby merchants to signify that you are willing to pay high prices for items.

 

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Collector’s Name: Roy Dritley

Tags/Keywords:

  • Hand Gestures
  • Mexico
  • Expensive
  • Money

Pinky Raise

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Dartmouth College, Hanover NH
  • Date Collected: November 14, 2019
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: Jess Zhang

Informant Data: 

Jess Zhang is a 20 year old, female, Dartmouth student in the class of 2021. She was born in Harbin, China and lived there until the age of ten. She currently lives outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: The gesture is used to express distaste or disapproval toward a person in a relatively mild manner. It is often compared to the more obscene gesture of raising the middle finger, which is used in many cultures to signify extreme contempt. Jess describes the pinky raise as a less severe form of the middle finger, which can be used as an insult or jokingly among friends. She says the meaning is highly context dependent, and given the correct setting, it could be appropriate to direct this gesture at one’s parents, which would be highly unusual in the case of the middle finger. This gesture was very popular among youth when Jess was living in China, but since then, the middle finger has become more popular with young people and this gesture has largely been replaced.

Item: This gesture is performed by forming a loose fist with the knuckles facing toward the person at whom the gesture is directed, and raising the pinky to a vertical position.

Associated file (a video):

Collector’s Name: Sophie Byrne

Tags/Keywords:

  • Hand Gesture
  • China

Orchid Flower Fingers

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Dartmouth College, Hanover NH
  • Date Collected: November 14, 2019
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: Jess Zhang

Informant Data: 

Jess Zhang is a 20 year old, female, Dartmouth student in the class of 2021. She was born in Harbin, China and lived there until the age of ten. She currently lives outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: The gesture is used as an expression of beauty and femininity, but Jess believes any more definite meaning may have been lost. She learned the gesture from her grandmother, who performs it often, and also remembers seeing it used in television shows her grandfather was watching. Jess most often encounters this gesture when talking with family, and sometimes uses it in a joking manner when among friends. She says that the gesture was most popular when her grandparents were young, and is taken less seriously by youth today.
  • Cultural Context:  The gesture was originally used in Peking Opera performances, which Jess described as a dominant form of Chinese culture involving singing accompanied by choreographed arm movements. The Orchid Flower Fingers is one of many hand gestures created in this context, but has since become recognized outside of these performances. The orchid in Chinese culture represents beauty.

Item: This gesture is performed by pressing the tip of the thumb against the tip of the middle finger to form an oval, and raising the other fingers slightly so they are curved above the middle finger in a manner that resembles the petals of an orchid. The gesture can be performed using the ring finger and thumb, but this is less common.

Associated file (a video):

Collector’s Name: Sophie Byrne

Tags/Keywords:

  • Hand Gesture
  • China

Finger Mudras

Title: Finger Mudras

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Baker Berry Library, Dartmouth College
  • Date Collected: November 15th, 2019
  • Country of Origin: India
  • Informant: Arvin Kumaran ’21

Informant Data:

  • Arvin Kumaran is a male Dartmouth student in the class of 2021. He was born and continues to reside in Boston, MA. He was raised in a predominantly Hindu household, and he continues to practice Hindu meditation, which he learned from his parents who moved to the United States from India right before his birth.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Finger Mudras are ritualistic hand gestures that are very prevalent within the Dharmic religions of India and Southeast Asia, specifically Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The practice of ritual Mudras is incredibly ancient, with examples dating back to the Vedic Period around 1500 BCE. The term “Mudra” is Sanskrit for “Gesture”, and they are commonly seen in the context of classical dance, meditation, tantric practices, and religious iconography.
  • Social Context: Arvin first learned Mudras from his parents, who taught them to him in the context of practicing Hindu meditation. In this context, Mudras are used as a physical way for one to get into contact with their inner spirit, and they are also used as a way to nonverbally communicate your current state.

Item:

  • The  Abhaya Mudra is one of the most ubiquitous Mudras both within meditation and religious iconography, and it is most commonly performed by sitting and holding your right-hand upright with the fingers together and the palm facing out. Within the context of Buddhism, this gesture is meant to convey protection, peace, and the dispelling of fear, as it was believed to be performed by Gautama Buddha when he was attacked by an elephant. Prior to the onset of Buddhism, this gesture was believed to be performed when two strangers met each other, meant to convey good intentions and friendship. There are a vast number of variations of this Mudra across cultures, for instance, in Thailand and Laos it is performed uniformly in a standing position with both right and left hands presented.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Collector’s Name: Roy Dritley

Tags/Keywords:

  • Hand Gestures
  • Dharmic Religions
  • Finger Mudras

Dame

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Hanover, NH
  • Date Collected: November 14th, 2019
  • Country of Origin: Japan
  • Informant: Jack Burgess

Informant Data:

  • Jack Burgess is a 21 year old, male student in the class of 2020 at Dartmouth College. He was born and raised in Arizona, and still lives there when not in school. When in sixth grade, Jack spent six months living in Japan and attended middle school there.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Jack learned this gesture while attending middle school in Japan. He remembers girls in his band using it often to indicate an idea or behavior was not okay. He described the gesture as meaning, “That’s a no-no,” and said that it was primarily used when discussing a course of action to reject a suggestion. The common response to the gesture would be a sense of shame and backing down. Jack believes the gesture is universally understood in Japan, but primarily used by children of elementary school age.
  • Cultural Context: Jack noted that when grading assignments, Japanese school teachers mark correct answers with an ‘o’ and incorrect answers with an ‘x’. Therefore, the ‘x’ symbol indicates someone has done something wrong outside of the context of this gesture.

Item:

  • This gesture is performed by holding one’s arms out in front of one’s chest, bent at the elbow and crossing them so they meet at a 90 degree angle, resembling an X. The performer then taps their wrists together twice and accompanies the gesture by speaking the word “Dame”, which means “No” in Japanese.

Associated file:

Informant’s Comments: Given that the origins of this gesture stem from the significance the ‘x’ has due to its use in grading, it is especially interesting that the gesture is most popular among elementary school aged children, who are likely exposed to the ‘x’ as a negative symbol very often.

Collector’s Name: Sophie Byrne

Tags/Keywords:

  • Gesture
  • Japan

Forehead Tap

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Hanover, NH
  • Date Collected: November 11th, 2019
  • Country of Origin: Switzerland
  • Informant: Jacqueline Byrne

Informant Data:

  • Jaqueline Byrne is my sister, an 18 year old, female, Dartmouth student in the class of 2022. She was born in London, England and raised between Bermuda, Switzerland and the United States. She has been visiting Switzerland yearly since she was very young, and lived there for three years between the ages of 10 and 13. Jacqueline currently studies theater at Dartmouth College and lives in Montreal, Canada when not in school.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: This gesture is used to indicate that the performer of the gesture thinks whoever they are addressing or speaking about is stupid. The gesture is universally understood in Switzerland, but rarely used, as it is considered highly offensive. It is primarily used among friends when discussing someone who is not present to indicate their idiocy. To direct this gesture at someone would be seen as extremely rude. Jacqueline learned this gesture at the international school she attended soon after moving to Switzerland. She was warned by a teacher not to rest her fingers near her forehead, for if her actions were mistaken for a performance of this gesture, she could easily seem disrespectful. Jacqueline believes this gesture is also common in Germany, where it can be directed at one’s friend to jokingly indicate their stupidity. She does not think it would be used jokingly in Swiss culture.
  • Cultural Context: Switzerland borders France, Italy and Germany, and its culture is heavily influenced by all three countries. However, the Swiss also have their own values and traditions. As a people, they are known to appreciate organization, be highly formal with strangers and adhere very strictly to unspoken social rules.

Item:

  • This gesture is performed by forming a loose fist with only the index finger raised, then tapping the forehead near the temple with the tip of the index finger multiple times.

Associated file:

 

Informant’s Comments: Given the tendency within Swiss culture to be extremely formal around strangers and acquaintances, it makes sense that this gesture is very taboo. However, this tendency to adhere to social rules also gives insight into why such a gesture might exist, to allow someone to express a negative opinion without forcing them to explicitly say it. The fact that this gesture can be used jokingly in other cultures but not in Switzerland is interesting, given that the Swiss are known as very serious people.

Collector’s Name: Sophie Byrne

Tags/Keywords:

  • Gesture
  • Switzerland

Car Wave

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Dartmouth College, Hanover NH
  • Date Collected: November 9, 2019
  • Country of Origin: Bermuda
  • Informant: Rebecca Byrne

Informant Data: 

Rebecca Byrne is my mother, a 53 year old female born and raised in Alberta, Canada. She has traveled extensively and spent time living in England, Japan, Bermuda, Switzerland and the United States. She lived in Bermuda for ten years and visits occasionally to see friends. Rebecca currently lives in Montreal, Canada.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Rebecca learned this gesture from a neighbor shortly after moving to Bermuda. She was notified that it is common on the island to lift a finger to acknowledge friends or acquaintances when passing them on the road. The gesture is used as a greeting, and is similar in meaning to waving but does not require the lifting of a hand off the steering wheel. It is a very popular gesture, to the extent that it would be seen as rude to pass someone you know while driving and does not perform the gesture. Rebecca has been informed by Australian friends that the gesture is also common in rural areas in Australia.
  • Cultural Context: Bermuda is a small island with a population of 65,000. The island is a British Colony and geographically proximal to the United States, so the culture contains both British and American customs. Due to Bermuda’s small area, it is common for locals to run into people they know on the roads. Bermudians think of themselves as extremely friendly and pride themselves on creating a strong community on the island.

Item: The gesture is performed while driving by raising one’s forefinger off the steering wheel and rotating the wrist to move the finger back and forth. It is accompanied by eye contact with the person one is trying to acknowledge, and optionally, a sounding of the car horn or a verbal greeting yelled out the window

Associated file (a video):

 

Informant’s Comments: Rebecca noted that Bermuda has a local celebrity, Johnny Barnes, who, from 1986 to 2015, stood every morning on one of the busiest roundabouts to wave and blow kisses at traffic. She believes the phenomenon of waving at other drivers in this way may be linked to Bermudian’s appreciation of Johnny Barnes and tendency to wave to him.

Collector’s Comments: The fact that this gesture is common in both rural and island cultures makes practical sense in that someone who lives in a small community has increased likelihood of regularly encountering people they know while driving and needing a way to acknowledge these people. Since both Australia and Bermuda are influenced by British culture, it is possible that this gesture was originally common in the United Kingdom. While the reminder of friendliness that Johnny Barnes brings may make this gesture more popular, it likely stemmed from the need for a greeting that can be safely performed while driving within a close community.

Collector’s Name: Sophie Byrne

Tags/Keywords:

  • Hand Gesture
  • Bermuda
  • Greeting

Bad Joke || Peruvian

Title: Bad Joke

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Collis Center, Dartmouth College
  • Date Collected: November 12th, 2019
  • Country of Origin: Peru
  • Informant: Bailey Burke (myself)

Informant Data:

  • Bailey Burke is a Dartmouth College student graduating in 2020. She was born in New York City, but moved to Westchester, NY in 2002. She studies computer science and neuroscience, and loves to play tennis, sing, hike, and hangout with her family. She studied abroad in Peru from September 2018 until the end of November 2018. She traveled all around Peru with a Dartmouth professor and 7 other Dartmouth Students. Her school/homestay was located in Cusco, and she had two Peruvian professors in addition to the Dartmouth professor. The group would constantly explore the beautiful city of Cusco, and a lot of the students would befriend locals. She was completely immersed in the culture, and because of that, she was able to pick up on a lot of things that were unique to the natives.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Bailey first learned about this hand gesture after watching people on her program interact with Peruvian adolescents. Even though their Spanish was near fluent in terms of conversing, they didn’t know how to properly deliver jokes, or how to nail the delivery when speaking Spanish. So it was commonly used after one of the students in the group would try to say something funny, or when someone tried to directly translate a joke from english into Spanish, but it does not mean the same thing in Spanish. It basically means that someone just told a bad joke, or that the joke that someone told did not land well. The person using this is light-heartedly making fun of the person who told the joke.
  • Cultural Context: Peru is a country in western South America, with an old and complex background. It’s the birthplace of the ancient Incan Empire, and it’s known for its natural wonders and archeological marvels. In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire conquered the region, but Peru successfully gained its independence in 1824. Spanish colonization strongly influenced the culture of Peru. The sovereign state of Peru is a republic comprised of 25 regions. Talking with your hands is commonplace in peru. Peruvians are very animated, sometimes loud, and are collectively and generally not shy. Being expressive is common. According to behavior scientists in a study, in face-to-face conversations in Peru, around 55% is non-verbal and gestural (Passport To Travel Peru), supporting the idea that more than half of Peruvians converse and communicate through motions, signaling, and expression. 

Item:

  • This gesture is used after someone just told a bad joke. Someone points at the joker, and then in a swift & connecting motion, points at the door. At the same, the person pointing says “ya se fue, ya se fue.” It implies “you should leave” as a harmless joke, because the joker just delivered a horrible joke, or one that wasn’t funny. It can loosely translate to “you should just get out of here,” because the person telling the joke failed. It can also be used when someone has an idea that just isn’t good. “Ya se fue” means “he’s gone.” It can be paired with a head shake, and also sometimes is only paired with one “ya se fue” or no verbal phrase at all. Someone can also just say “se fue.” The hand can move fast, or it can be a slow motion. There is no definitive answer as for how it came to be, but Peruvians like to playfully make fun of each other. It may have something to do with the idea that instead of just letting everyone sit there awkwardly after a bad joke, Peruvians want to diffuse awkwardness and make a funny response.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Collector’s Comments (Interpretation): This relates to Peruvian culture because Peruvians love to make pranks and harmlessly joke around, so this parallels their vibrant energy. Generally, since the person who told the joke knows that this gesture and expression is also a joke, it is meant to make light of a funny/failed situation, and to make things less awkward. This shows that they are also witty/don’t take things too seriously, and are playful in nature.

Collector’s Name: Bailey Burke

Tags/Keywords:

  • Peru
  • Gesture
  • Bad Joke

The Shake || Trinidadian

Title: The Shake

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Video Call
  • Date Collected: November 7th, 2019
  • Country of Origin: Trinidad & Tobago
  • Informant: Joy-Denise Burke

Informant Data:

  • Joy-Denise Burke is my mother who was born and raised in Port of Spain, the capital city of Trinidad. It’s a small, third world country with a population of 1.37 million people, and is located in the Caribbean. She is of Indian descent, as her senior relatives migrated over from India. She moved to Canada at age 16 for school, where she studied art and psychology. She then moved back to Trinidad, then to Florida for graduate school, and finally ended up in New York for business school at NYU. She worked in New York after that, and then moved to Westchester, NY in 2002. Most of her family still lives in Trinidad, though, so she often visits.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Joy-Denise learned about this gesture from men in the streets who used this gesture as a pretty woman walked by. The gesture can be used in various situations- it is used to show excitement upon seeing a beautiful woman, but it is not as much seen as harassment/is not as degrading as someone whistling or making sexual comments as a woman walks by. It is also used to show exuberance when someone puts another person in his/her place. Lastly, it can also be accompanied by a facial expression of awe to further accentuate the gesture. It may have started because it is an active gesture to demonstrate to someone else who may be far away that you see them or that you understand the situation. If done properly, there is even a sound and a wind, so it is a good way to catch someone’s attention. Trinidadians use many hand gestures when communicating and expressing feelings.
  • Cultural Context: Trinidad has a distinct culture that is influenced by the many races that came to the country over the centuries, specifically African, Indian, Portuguese, American Indian, Spanish, Chinese, and English. The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus, and remained under Spanish control until 1797 when Britain captured it. It didn’t gain full independence until 1962, so is a melting pot of races that has its own unique culture as well.

Item:

  • This gesture means “wow, look at that attractive woman” or “you just got called out and it’s clear you just got burnt.” It is performed by snapping the hand quickly so that the fingers hit each other and make a sound. You should be able to feel a breeze on your face. It varies by how fast you shake your hand- the faster you shake, the more excited you are. Trinidadians are very animated, so this is one way to show that someone or something is attractive/to show excitement nonverbally.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Collector’s Comments (Interpretation): This gesture relates to Trinidadian culture because Trinidadians are very animated and expressive, and this is one way to show excitement nonverbally. Trinidadians use many hand gestures when communicating and expressing feelings, so it aligns well with Trinidadian culture. Every time I have visited Trinidad, I am always amazed at how much energy everyone has, and how lively they are.

Collector’s Name: Bailey Burke

Tags/Keywords:

  • Trinidad
  • Gesture
  • Hand Shake

“Let’s Go Now” || Trinidadian

Title: Let’s Go Now

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Gesture
  • Place Collected: Video Call
  • Date Collected: November 7th, 2019, 12:12 pm
  • Country of Origin: Trinidad & Tobago
  • Informant: Joy-Denise Burke

Informant Data:

  • Joy-Denise Burke is my mother who was born and raised in Port of Spain, the capital city of Trinidad. It’s a small, third world country with a population of 1.37 million people, and is located in the Caribbean. She is of Indian descent, as her senior relatives migrated over from India. She moved to Canada at age 16 for school, where she studied art and psychology. She then moved back to Trinidad, then to Florida for graduate school, and finally ended up in New York for business school at NYU. She worked in New York after that, and then moved to Westchester, NY in 2002. Most of her family still lives in Trinidad, though, so she often visits.

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context: Joy-Denise first learned this gesture in elementary school, since her friends used it when it was time to go. She has since learned/noticed that the gesture can be used for several reasons. 1) it is considered impolite to disturb someone while they are talking, so this signal could be sent secretly behind the other person’s back, so the person in view of the signal sees that you are ready to go. 2) Trinidadians like to “fete” or party and play loud music, so it is a visual nonverbal sign which allows for minimal disruption of the party. 3) It can be used in an urgent situation, to support the idea that someone wants to leave right away. For example, if one’s kids are taking their time and a parent wants to stress the importance of leaving right away, then this would be a good sign to use.
  • Cultural Context: Trinidad has a distinct culture that is influenced by the many races that came to the country over the centuries, specifically African, Indian, Portuguese, American Indian, Spanish, Chinese, and English. The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus, and remained under Spanish control until 1797 when Britain captured it. It didn’t gain full independence until 1962, so is a melting pot of races that has its own unique culture as well.

Item:

  • This gesture means “let’s go now.” It is performed by slapping the back of one’s hand into the other to make a loud sound, and then pulling the arms apart. It varies by how hard you slap the back of your hand into the other and how far you extend your arms at the end- the harder and faster one slaps, the more urgent the need to depart. Also, this hand gesture could be accompanied by facial expressions to further accentuate the urgency. It is quite popular in Trinidad amongst all classes, races, genders, and ages.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Collector’s Comments (Interpretation): I think this gesture relates to Trinidad specifically because Trinidadians are very expressive in general, but they also have a lot of respect for their elders/family/people they are speaking to. They never want to come across as rude by interrupting someone and saying that they need to leave. It’s a good way to catch the other person’s attention right away, as it’s very visible, and can easily demonstrate how urgent the person wants to leave. It’s an excellent visual nonverbal gesture that stresses the importance of leaving. Also, Trinidad has a wild party scene, and is known for it’s party environment and night life, so it makes sense that some would use this when the music would be too loud to hear someone.

Collector’s Name: Bailey Burke

Tags/Keywords:

  • Trinidad
  • Gesture
  • Let’s Go Now