All time great popular culture shorthands

Cafe Society
1

Now there are lots of songs that after a few notes you can recognise it.

Lots of books and movies and TV shows can be recognised from a quote.

But my favourite bit of shorthand doesn’t require real music or words.

Hold up your right fist by your head. Make a few stabbing gestures while going “RE RE RE”. Ask people what it is and they’ll all say “Shower scene” or “Psycho” or “Hitchcock” or once in a while “High Anxiety” (if they do point out that Barry Levinson played Dennis).

Everyone picks it. Know any others without words or music?

2

Put your hands together as if holding a golf club. Point the “club” at the viewer, and, swinging it from side to side, say, “Vvvvoooob, vvvvooooob, vvvvoooooob.”

3

(sing) De de de de, de de de de …