Iran seems to be the main one, and I've heard that in India it can also be offensive, especially when accompanied by the word 'thengaa'. whilst driving past one another, or through a glass window) the thumbs up signifies a gesture of recognition. I've never had a problem in Malaysia / Indonesia when pointing to things with my index finger. The fist is often seen as a sign of both resistance and revolt as well as a gesture for triumph. In the USA it's common to give a thumbs up to say "Yes, this is good" or "Thanks" or convey another appropriate positive meaning. Would be a better fit for: Among scuba divers it means lets go to the surface. Tcolorbox : create a proof environnement with a QED symbol at the very end. And possibly spin. How do you think about the answers? Many, if not most, Latin Americans find it offensive, as do citizens of West Africa, Greece, Russia, Sardinia, the south of Italy, Australia, the Philippines and many Islamic nations. You can sign in to vote the answer. Though it states that it may be offensive in Israel I haven't found this to be the case. @FedericoPoloni As I have mentioned to one of your countryment the only place mentioned is Sardinia. Good thing Facebook is blocked in Iran then, I guess. Some popular tools are missing in GIMP 2.10. But its not on your list. Actually to this gesture be considered rude in Brazil u need to direct the palm of ur hand to u and no to the other person! Wouldn't be so nice if the "Like" symbol meant "sit on my phallus." Are there any cultures in which the “thumbs up” hand gesture is offensive? i'm not sure of the others. good luck. Stuck without toilet paper while travelling - what is the best approach? A less common variation is the use of a brief two handed thumbs up gesture made close to the body. i was going to say Iran...learned it in an intercultural communications class. 1 decade ago. This positive gesture has a totally different meaning in Latin America, West Africa, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Google allows users to search the Web for images, news, products, video, and other content. Why isn't there a way to say "catched up", we only can say "caught up"? A word of West African origin (used primarily in the West African nation of Ghana). Using your left hand to gesticulate, shake hands, greet, wave, collect or receive items are frowned upon. Dont eat with your left hand. Cristiano Ronaldo appeared in fine spirits watching his Portugal team-mates train on Tuesday evening at their training base after testing positive for coronavirus.The 35 … In the 2000 general election, John Agyekum Kufuor of the NPP was placed bottom and commercial drivers on the Accra - Cape Coast Highway greeted each other with a thumbs … In situations where acquaintances may see each other briefly and unexpectedly, but are unable to communicate otherwise (e.g. Still, the acceptability of the "thumbs up" gesture is seen in the popular soda Thums Up. Get your answers by asking now. Growing up in Australia, the thumbs up gesture was considered rude, and people would put their thumb up at someone as an insulting gesture. When you meet someone for the first time, you generally shake hands, no kisses on the cheek like in Europe. I will reiterate that it is our collective obligation and in everyone's interest that all Ghanaian children receive free education up to SHS. [2]. I can remember as a kid, giggling at an American movie where fighter pilots made a 'thumbs up' gesture at each other. "'Thumbs up' traditionally translates as the foulest of gesticular insults in some Middle Eastern countries — the most straightforward interpretation is 'Up yours, pal!' Thank you so much for watching! It's widely common between people. (Or worse.) Man that was a story. Unless you really are Cesar, that is. [citation needed] It indicates cocking a snook at someone. I was briefed that it was extremely rude in Bahrain and UAE. This symbol's original meaning was a-OK and NASA was one of the first to use it to describe that everything has gone to plan. Should I give her aspirin? Avoid giving thumbs up if you can, because a variation of that is a grave insult. The sign has a similarly pejorative meaning in parts of West Africa, South America (except Brazil), Iran, Greece, and Sardinia, according to Roger E. Axtell's book Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World." @PhilPerry: I would hope most people anywhere in the world would realise that strangers from a foreign country might do strange things. In its truest meaning it’s a vulgar insult directed at someone’s mother but actually it’s so much more than that. While adults in Thailand today have adopted its more international meaning of approval or a job well done, it’s still common for kids to exchange the gesture during a childish argument. Plum. We kids thought they were very naughty!! Written by. If the origins of both gestures are linked, we can only assume this meant, "Do not kill the prisoner, he seems the perfect solution to the emperor's arthritic finger." Am I the only one weirded out when people ask you when are you going to have children because it's sexual? Disregarding taboo is generally considered a deviant act by the society. Despite that, the sign is still very rarely used by native Greeks for its positive meaning (and never for the pejorative). It used to be rude in North America, having the same meaning as the dirty finger has today. Thumbs up Traditionally, giving someone the “thumbs up” gesture is similar to giving them the middle finger – ultimately derogatory in nature. In Iran, it means the complete opposite and has the same meaing as "the finger" in western countries. 1 0. The information may still be subject to change at a later date. Have issues surrounding the Northern Ireland border been resolved? In what base system a given decimal-based number with no terminating decimal expansion can be represented in a finite string of digits? Not offensive, but in Malaysia you use the thumb to point at things (using the index is rude). You also mention Iran, so it could be all around the Persian Gulf. SUBSCRIBE & TURN ON POST NOTIFICATIONS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY! It only takes a minute to sign up. Of course, if you travel back to ancient Rome, this is an imperial prerogative. Along the same lines as the Middle Eastern thumbs-up is the English backwards peace sign (your index and middle finger held up with your palm facing toward you). In certain parts of the Middle East, thumbs-up is definitely a highly-offensive thumbs-down. In the UK, specifically north-west England, a single handed thumbs up sign can be used as a farewell or greetings gesture between young males. Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. In Iraq, it means perfect.Younger generations tend to use it more so than older people. THUMBS UP, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE! Hand Gestures in the World With More Than One Meaning. Multi-Wire Branch Circuit on wrong breakers. I'm trying to find out in which countries the 'thumbs-up' gesture is rude rather than benign. 3. Is it rude for a homeless person to point out that is Christmas when they're begging for money? Is it rude to ask a childless woman if she's barren? Order Beer With Words in England. The "ring sign" meaning what's in English called "the OK sign"? I saw an ad playing on this problem - i'm sure it was set in south america? Another rude gesture among kids (now less popular), is to show the thumb to a person and say "thengaa," sometimes followed making a face, drawing the tongue out and touching the chin with it. It is a neighborhood meeting place serving great food at reasonable prices with a friendly wait staff. It could also represent the number zero due to lack of fingers. December 2020 Photo Competition: Retired means of travel. Is cheek kissing appropriate when being introduced to a woman in Latin America? In practice, most Greeks nowadays recognize the positive connotation of the sign due to international exposure. In work, why do older women give me (me as a female aged then 20 and now 22) dirty looks and don't say thank you if I hold a door for them? The child, nicknamed Yuanyuan, has 31 digits in total and was born without thumbs or big toes, reports the People's Daily Online. In which cultural regions is taking pictures of people considered offensive? 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