Bush some problems when he flashed it to an Australian crowd with the palm facing inward, which is a major insult.
The peace sign is the one that caused George W. However in many countries outside of the US the direction the palm is facing makes a major difference in the meaning. During the Vietnam war and hippy era the sign began to mean peace and is now typically referred to as the “peace sign.” Prior to the 1960s it was primarily used to indicate “victory”. This hand gesture is another one which is fairly universal. The gesture obviously means the opposite of “thumbs up”, however in many cultures it is considered to be very rude and arrogant. The thumbs down gesture is also commonly used in America, but less so in many other countries. In Australia, the gesture also means all is fine unless the user moves it up and down which transfers the gesture to an insult. However, in many Islamic and Asian countries, it is considered a major insult. The gesture is so prevalent that it is a common emoji and is commonly used in social media and customer service ratings to indicate satisfaction. The signal for approval or agreement is commonly found European and American cultures as a sign of approval or that things are going according to plan.
Thumbs up is perhaps the most common of hand gestures and one that has been used for thousands of years. Start nowĬheck out our handy guide to hand gestures and make sure you don’t accidentally insult anyone on your next holiday or business trip. US Presidents George W Bush and Richard Nixon both unintentionally insulted their audiences in Australia and Brazil by flashing commonly used American hand gestures, not knowing that the meanings were drastically different. However, since hand gestures are such a regular part of our daily communication habits, it is easy to make a mistake.
Not understanding the meaning of gestures in different cultures can lead to misunderstandings, insults and even violence. Be aware though – not all hand gestures have the same meaning in all countries! It is worth looking into different hand gestures when you learn English online, so you are one step ahead of the game. Many travelers will also use hand gestures as a means of non-verbal communication when traveling in countries where they do not speak the local language. They are a great way of making sure we’re getting our point across and underpin what we’re trying to say. Hand gestures are an integral part of communication, particularly if we are speaking in a foreign language.