# "Gesticulating Wildly" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701 "2012-09-14T15:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/21 "2012-09-14T18:20:30Z")
Ignatius J. Reilly, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/22 "2012-09-14T18:28:24Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Ignatius J. Reilly, of course. That’s who I thought of too, just couldn’t remember the name. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/23 "2012-09-14T18:31:42Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Ignatius J. Reilly, of course. Yeah, that’s a good one! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/24 "2012-09-14T18:51:54Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Arthur Dent for me Wouldn’t Zaphod Beeblebrox be more of the wild gesticulater than Arthur? ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/25 "2012-09-14T19:23:00Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Agreed. I never pictured him as “gesticulating wildly” when I read the books the first time, and no depiction of him in film has spown him that way. “Gesticulating wildly” suggests mental agitation and indecision, which doesn’t characterize Gandalf at all. Maybe the OP is secretly envisioning [Gandalf from Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WcJbPlAknw)? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/26 "2012-09-14T19:32:04Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Kermit the Frog. Concur. Although, technically, I believe Kermit “flails.” ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/27 "2012-09-14T20:00:03Z")
Broud from Clan of the Cave Bear. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/28 "2012-09-14T22:44:38Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Wouldn’t Zaphod Beeblebrox be more of the wild gesticulater than Arthur? No. Zaphod is smooth. Stupid as a sock full of gravel, but smooth, and rarely agitated. He’s definitely a gesticulator, but it’s broad, grandiose motions, not wild flailing. Arthur, on the other hand, spends at least 3/5 books in the sort of highly agitated state that leads to wild gesticulations. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/29 "2012-09-15T04:44:25Z")
> [@jayarrell](#): > > Stan from Monkey Island was the first thing to come to my mind (though he may not quite fit the literary character requirement). Ha! Same here. He’s even got the appropriate theme music to accompany wild gesticulation. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/30 "2012-09-15T04:48:34Z")
Sherlock Holmes while in disguise? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/31 "2012-09-15T08:59:06Z")
Andrew Marr… ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/32 "2012-09-15T13:25:40Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Ahhh, au contraire madame. Poirot does not make ze wild gesteeculations, as zey tend to deeslodge ze boutonniere. Non, m’sieur. I bring evidence. Poirot can be seen gesticulating as he runs down the street near the end of _Mysterious Affair at Styles_ after he finds the important clue to the murder. His extravagant on-street gestures have embarrassed Hastings in other novels as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/33 "2012-09-15T13:54:04Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Been to a library lately? Ours has more videos than books. Thank you. And I am sure librarian dopers can attest that an MLIS degree attracts some pretty dumb people – this despite interesting theoretical research done in the field. Librarians, in general, don’t read, don’t watch, don’t know, don’t care. There are exceptions, but there just isn’t a place in our world for curators of books. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/34 "2012-09-15T14:43:39Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Ignatius J. Reilly, of course. First name that popped into my mind, too. For the life of me, I don’t remember any specific instances in _Confederacy of Dunces_ (I read it once nearly ten years ago) where he gesticulates wildly, but his character was the first that came to me. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/35 "2012-09-15T16:18:13Z")
It makes me think of the character Jamie in the musical “The Last Five Years”, mostly because of the song “A Miracle Would Happen”, with the lyrics “And I’m showing her my left hand/I’m gesticulating with my left hand” to show this woman who’s coming on to him his wedding ring. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/36 "2012-09-15T18:13:54Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > No. Zaphod is smooth. Stupid as a sock full of gravel, but smooth, and rarely agitated. He’s definitely a gesticulator, but it’s broad, grandiose motions, not wild flailing. > > Arthur, on the other hand, spends at least 3/5 books in the sort of highly agitated state that leads to wild gesticulations. Thank you for defending my case, you put it better than I could have. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/37 "2012-09-16T03:09:03Z")
Swear to Og it really fits – Hitler! ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/38 "2012-09-16T07:49:28Z")
> [@jayarrell](#): > > Stan from Monkey Island was the first thing to come to my mind (though he may not quite fit the literary character requirement). [Yes!](http://reocities.com/TimesSquare/ring/2270/stan.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/39 "2012-09-16T13:00:18Z")
Cheetah – Tarzan’s pal, [who it turns out died just a few months ago at age 80](http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20556983,00.html). ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701/40 "2012-09-16T16:49:10Z")
Willy Wonka–in the BOOKS, not the movies–is a manic old man who I am sure gesticulated wildly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gesticulating-wildly/634701.md?page=3)