The meaning of hand gestures vary drastically from culture to culture. Flash someone a well-meaning "thumbs up" sign in Russia, and they'll interpret it as a vulgar insult.
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Rude Hand Gestures of the World: A Guide to Offending without Words, a new title from Chronicle Books, delves into the varied interpretations of hand signals around the planet.
Author Romana Lefevre spends half the year traveling the world studying offensive language patterns of different cultures.
It's a great read if you're traveling to foreign countries and don't want to offend the people you meet along the way (or if you do, for that matter).
The publisher has been kind enough to share a few choice gestures with us.
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Brush your nose in Jordan, and you're telling them you'd like to enjoy a "romantic exchange."
This may mean "OK" in America, but in Brazil, Mexico, Russia and several other countries, it's the sign for a**hole.
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Flash the "pepper mill" in Southern Italy, and it will be interpreted as "you're crazy."
Play the air flute in France, and you're saying, "I'm tired of your made-up nonsense."
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In Mexico and South America, the elbow tap is a way of telling someone they're stingy.
Careful: this raised hand signal means "you're a dickhe*d" in the United Kingdom.
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That innocent "thumbs up"? In Greece, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and several other places, it actually means "up yours."
Here's something else you can do with your hands
The Unbelievable Animal Hand Paintings Of Guido Daniele >
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