# evil eye

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-eye/28959>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 2000, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-eye/28959 "2000-08-11T13:42:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@rog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rog)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-eye/28959/1 "2000-08-11T13:42:45Z")

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What is the hand gesture used to make the sign of the evil eye, to ward off evil spirits/people, as in often quoted by Authours Stephen King etc.

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-eye/28959/2 "2000-08-11T14:26:50Z")

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I think there are two gestures – the “fig” you make a fist and place your thumb inside, so that the tip sticks out between the middle two fingers) and the “horned hand” (curl your fingers into a horizontal fist, but leave the index and little fingers fully extended. It helps to use your thumb to keep the middle two fingers curled up.). Have a look at Desmond Morris’ picture book “Gestures”.

Here in the North End of Boston, which has a heavy Old Italian presence, the shops sell red plastic “horns” that people hang from their rearview mirrors (and other convenient places) to ward off the “malocchio” or “jettatura”. Because of their resmblance, red chili peppers are also used for this purpose.

You might want to have a look at F.T. Elworthy’s book “The Evil Eye”. It’s pretty old, but it’s one of the few books on the topic.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-eye/28959/3 "2000-08-11T16:17:01Z")

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There’s also the Turkish (I think) method of staring someone in the eye and raising your palm to face them.

Are you planning on cursing someone?

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-eye/28959/4 "2000-08-11T22:00:25Z")

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So _that’s_ the origin of “talk to the hand!”

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-eye/28959/5 "2000-08-11T23:35:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> There’s also the Turkish (I think) method of staring someone in the eye and raising your palm to face them.

Also used in Italy… If you ever visit Rome, don’t wave at anyone. Incidentally, I believe that the Italian word for it is the _maloike_ (someone correct my spelling). Note that the evil eye is not used to ward off bad luck, it’s used to inflict it. The wards are called something else.