Appendix:Gestures

The gestures below are meaningful expressions produced with parts of the body, but excluding speech. All are used outside of the context of a sign language. Some have specific referents, some emphasize accompanying vocal speech, and some express feelings, including contempt, hostility, approval, and affection.

One hand

 * air kiss
 * air punch: fist punching upward into the air; suggests victory or triumph
 * akanbe (pulling eyelid down with finger, indicates mockery -- see akanbe on Wikipedia. same gesture indicates disbelief in France: "mon œil!"; see )
 * beckon
 * index finger beckon (point the index finger upwards, waggle it towards yourself)
 * palm-down beckon (Japanese beckon with the four fingers facing down, waggle the hand toward yourself)
 * bicep kiss (kissing one's own biceps)
 * blowing a kiss (see air kiss)
 * calm down (using one's open hand to try to ask someone to calm down)
 * check for rain (palm out and upward)
 * chef's kiss
 * chin stroking
 * claw hand (imitating claws, with all five fingers flexed at once)
 * clenched hand
 * come here (see above: beckon)
 * corna (see sign of the horns)
 * cuckoo sign (circling motion of the index finger at the side of the ear or head)
 * drink (raising hand to mouth as if drinking: asks a person whether they want another drink, e.g. in a noisy pub; or suggests another person is a drunkard)
 * facepalm (covering part of one's face with an open hand, palm turned inward: indicates embarrassment, frustration, exasperation, or disappointment, directed at one's self, someone else, or the situation in general)
 * fig sign
 * finger gun (extending one's thumb and forefinger from a clenched fist to form a gun-like L-shape: used in emphasis/agreement, as in "That statement hits the bullseye;" also a casual nonverbal greeting often used in passing)
 * finger in collar
 * finger muzzle (put finger to someone else's lips)
 * finger snapping
 * finger wag (wagging finger as in "no")
 * fingers crossed (index and middle fingers extended from a loose fist with one finger wrapped around the other; used to wish for good luck; also may be concealed during a conversation and then used jokingly to excuse a spoken lie ("That thing I said wasn't really true, but it doesn't count because I had my fingers crossed")
 * fist pump
 * flipping the bird (see middle finger)
 * forgetfulness (hand to the top of the head, indicates forgetfulness)
 * gagging
 * go away
 * open-palm go away (Japanese gesture, shake the open palm to make someone go away)
 * shoo (hand facing downward, wiggle the hand or the four fingers to make someone go away)
 * hair flip (flipping one's long hair, indicates confidence)
 * halt (see open hand)
 * hand behind head (indicates embarassment)
 * hand over mouth
 * hand over mouth (disgust) (indicates disgust)
 * hand over mouth (thinking) (covering the mouth with the hand while thinking, possibly to suppress what one is saying or thinking of saying)
 * hand on womb (indicates pregnancy)
 * hand over heart
 * hat tip
 * hitch-hiking thumb
 * horns (see sign of the horns)
 * ILY sign
 * looking far away (put your open palm horizontally above your eyes and look into the distance)
 * knocking on wood (rapping the knuckles of one's closed fist on wood of some kind, e.g. a table or wall or tree, or one's own head if no real wood is available: a superstitious gesture used to ward off bad luck/unfavorable outcomes, particularly after someone "jinxes" a potential good outcome by verbalizing the hope or expectation, e.g. "There's no way our team can blow this lead!" "Knock on wood!!" rapraprap)
 * listen (hand cupped behind ear)
 * middle finger (fully extend one's middle finger from a closed fist, pointing upwards: a vulgar insult directed at another person, equivalent to "Fuck you," and considered socially inappropriate in the same environments where spoken profanity would be deemed so)
 * modest hand block (shake one or two hands with the palm facing the other person, to deny a compliment)
 * money (rubbing the tips of the thumb and the index finger together)
 * my lips are sealed (slide the tips of your thumb and index finger along your mouth, as if you could close your mouth with a zipper; indicates keeping a secret)
 * numbers
 * one
 * two
 * three
 * four
 * five
 * okay
 * open hand
 * palm on cheek
 * paw pose (hand(s) curled, imitating a cat or dog's paws)
 * pinky out
 * pointing
 * pointing at nose (Japanese "I", "me")
 * declarative finger (used when saying something one believes to be important)
 * pointing at eyes, then at listener (I'm watching you)
 * power fist (fist clenched at the sky)
 * puke finger (expresses disgust)
 * raise hand
 * reaching
 * rock, paper, scissors:
 * paper
 * rock
 * scissors
 * salutes:
 * Nazi salute
 * Roman salute
 * two-finger salute
 * Vulcan salute
 * screw loose (see cuckoo sign)
 * self-bottom smack (self-bottom smack, used to ridicule)
 * shaka sign
 * shaking fist
 * shocker
 * shoulder tap (tapping someone on the shoulder)
 * shushing
 * sign of the cross
 * sign of the horns
 * silly me (hitting oneself softly on the head, indicating one's own silliness)
 * small
 * sneeze finger (erect finger horizontally under nose)
 * stop (see open hand)
 * so-so or maybe gesture (hand is held parallel to the ground, palm down, and rocked slightly.)
 * take my hand
 * talk to the hand (see open hand)
 * talking (using one hand to imitate a mouth opening and closing; indicates a talkative person)
 * telephone (extended thumb and little finger beside the face, imitating a telephone with earpiece and mouthpiece)
 * they're the same (used in Brazil, rub the index and the middle finger together to indicate that two people are the same in some way)
 * thinker pose (as in The Thinker statue)
 * this way please
 * throat slash (moving the index finger across the neck)
 * thumbing the nose
 * thumbs up
 * thumbs down
 * V-sign
 * reverse V-sign
 * V-sign around tongue (perform the V-sign with a finger on either side of your extended tongue, indicates cunnilingus)
 * wanker
 * waving
 * whisper hide (hide your mouth with an open hand to the side, indicates whispering)
 * woe is me (placing the back of the hand to the forehead)

Two hands

 * air quotes
 * awkward turtle
 * applause
 * sarcastic clapping (which tends to be slower)
 * bicep rubbing (flexing one's arm and rubbing the biceps)
 * both hands over face (1. childish, someone counting while playing hide-and-seek; 2. covers the eyes and face, may indicate profound discomfort with what one would see, or some trauma/sadness, hiding one's urge to cry, etc.)
 * breasts (using the two hands, in a gesture imitating a person holding one's own breasts)
 * carry me
 * change the subject (get an invisible box from the sides with your open palms and put the box away to the side, indicating a change of subject)
 * chest pound
 * crossed arms
 * dusting off the hands (sometimes expressing completion: "that's that")
 * The (duart e kryqëzuara), representing the double-headed eagle that denotes Albania
 * fake ears/horns with the two hands:
 * bunny ear (hands open above head, imitating bunny ears)
 * index finger horns (both hands closed, at the sides of the head, except the index fingers, which are pointing upwards imitating horns)
 * finger frame (making a rectangular frame with the thumb and index finger of both hands)
 * finger tenting
 * fingertip tenting (fingerstips touching at mouth level, indicating contemplation)
 * interlocked finger tenting (fingers interlocked at mouth level, indicating contemplation)
 * five fathers (insulting a person by suggesting that their mother was sexually promiscuous)
 * fist to the palm (hit the palm of one hand with the closed fist of the other)
 * gorilla pound (see chest pound)
 * hand blocker (block the way using your two hands, indicates that you don't want something)
 * hand rubbing
 * hands up
 * head clutch (hands to ears, indicating loud noise)
 * heart hands (two hands forming a heart)
 * namaste (namaste gesture common in India)
 * palms-together apology (Japanese "gomen!" with the two palms together)
 * penetration (index finger penetrating an OK-sign)
 * psychic instance (fingers to the temples, imitating psychic powers; also used to indicate that one is thinking hard)
 * religion:
 * Jewish blessing
 * locked fingers (as in praying with interlocked fingers)
 * praying hands (praying with the palms together)
 * raised-hands worship (both hands raised in worship)
 * Tarzan pound (see chest pound)
 * this big (index fingers raised a distance apart, to show the size of something; e.g. a fish one caught)
 * tips of index fingers touching each other (indicates shyness)
 * typing (wiggle your fingers in a typing motion, indicates typing on a keyboard)
 * victory clasp (raising the hands clasped in victory)
 * vulva sign (making a diamond shape between extended thumbs and fingers to symbolise a vulva)
 * what have I done (looking at one's own palms in realization of something done)
 * white power (shaping one hand like the letter W and the other like P)
 * wristwatch (point at your arm as if you had a wristwatch, indicates asking "what time is it?")
 * writing (wiggle your hand as if you were writing with a pen on the palm of your other hand; this indicates that you are going to need a writing instrument)
 * zombie pose (both hands reaching forward, imitating a zombie or unrealistic stereotypical sleepwalker)

Moving the head

 * headdesk
 * head shake
 * nod
 * upwards nod

Parts of the head

 * eyes:
 * death glare
 * evil eye
 * frown
 * puppy dog eyes
 * raised eyebrow
 * wink
 * mouth:
 * blowing a raspberry
 * jaw drop
 * puffed cheeks (childish, indicates frustration)
 * smile
 * spitting
 * tongue out
 * tongue out with hands beside head (tongue sticking out with open hands next to sides of head with palms facing forwards and fingers spread, with thumbs near or touching temples)
 * vomit (cheeks puffed out, possibly with hand in front; suggests that one is nauseous or repulsed)
 * nose:
 * wrinkled nose

Whole body, or legs/torso

 * bowing
 * curtsey
 * dogeza
 * fetal position
 * kneeling
 * genuflection (one knee to the ground)
 * kowtow
 * shrug
 * shrug with forearms extended to sides

Other parts of the body

 * chicken - imitating a chicken
 * mooning
 * tick a lock
 * cock a snook

Using objects

 * knock on door (a request for someone to open the door)
 * knock on wood (superstitious gesture to avoid something bad to happen)
 * throwing a towel (means surrender in boxing)
 * white flag (means surrender)

Only the hands or arms

 * engacho (interlock circles with your index fingers and thumbs and have someone else "cut" your gesture using their hand)
 * greetings:
 * bro fist (see fist bump)
 * elbow bump
 * fist bump
 * forearm clasp
 * handshake
 * high-five
 * palm-fist greeting
 * holding hands
 * pinky swear
 * spit shake (childish, spitting on the hand and shaking hands to make an agreement)
 * team hands (2 or more people put their open hands together, one on top of the other, indicates teamwork)

Other gestures

 * bitch slap (slap to the front of the head of somebody else)
 * dope slap (lighthearted slap to the back of the head of somebody else)
 * foot kiss
 * French kiss
 * hand kiss
 * hug
 * kiss on the cheek
 * kiss on the lips

Three people interacting

 * see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

Four people interacting

 * see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil

Card games

 * give cards to dealer (fold, in poker)
 * tap table (check, in poker)

Chess

 * tip over king (resignation)
 * handshake offer (resignation)

Mudras
(to be filled)