# Hand/body signals **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613 "2010-08-08T18:11:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/1 "2010-08-08T18:11:55Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=573641) reminded me of something I learned when I was diving. If you’re in distress on the surface, make an X with your arms over your head. If you’re OK, make a big O with your arms over your head. Another thing I learned was not to put your mask on your forehead when you’re lounging about on the surface, lest someone think you’re in trouble. Instead, pull it under your chin. (I find that uncomfortable, but the instructor insisted that anyone with his mask on his forehead would be ‘rescued’.) A few others I can think of are aviation-related. ‘Land here’ is indicated by holding your arms in the direction of landing, and squatting. Waving your arms in unison over your head means ‘Do not land here.’ Spread-eagle on your back is a request for urgent medical assistance. Waving a cloth vertically is ‘Affirmative’, and waving it horizontally and low means ‘Negative.’ Signals we used in other situations include using two fingers on one hand to point to your eyes, then pointing with the index finger in a direction. ‘Look there.’ Making the ‘Pacman’ motion means ‘Yack, yack, yack…’ And let’s not bring up obscene gestures. What other hand and body signals do you know of for communicating in a given situation (i.e., SCUBA diving, hiking, boating, etc.)? What percentage of people do you think would know what you are trying to say? ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/2 "2010-08-08T18:50:12Z")
Do they still teach hand signals for driving? Arm straight out, left turn. Arm bent 90 degrees at the elbow, and up, right turn. Arm bent, hand down, stop. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/3 "2010-08-08T19:01:05Z")
“Thumbs up” in diving can be confusing - in other circumstances it means “everything’s great” (or sometimes “one beer, please”), but while diving it means “we should surface,” frequently because something’s wrong. Divers have to sometimes get in the habit of substituting the ok sign for the thumbs up sign in everyday use so they won’t confuse them when diving. Similarly, Americans have to be careful to avoid being misunderstood when ordering two beers in Europe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/4 "2010-08-08T19:46:32Z")
Y-M-C-A. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/5 "2010-08-08T19:52:07Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Y-M-C-A. [http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/534191/560552.jpg](http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/534191/560552.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/6 "2010-08-08T23:51:01Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > [@needscoffee](#): > > > > Y-M-C-A. > > [http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/534191/560552.jpg](http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/534191/560552.jpg) Why don’t I ever think of stuff like that? ---
**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:** [August 9, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/7 "2010-08-09T01:58:13Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Do they still teach hand signals for driving?\ That’s a good question - I know when I see someone driving who is sticking their arm out the window, it does always make me wonder if he’s actually signalling or just fooling around. It seems like motorcyclists are more likely to do that, so I’m going to guess that they do still teach it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/8 "2010-08-09T02:18:01Z")
There’s a whole batch (20+) of ICAO-standard signals for aircraft marshalling, and any professional pilot would recognize them. As would some non-pros. Each branch of the US military has some extensions to the standards for their own purposes. I doubt they’re standardized between services. I’d imiagine every military aviation branch worldwide is similarly equipped. My airline had a couple unique additions of their own. I think that kind of per-company uniqueness is dying out though. USAF has a whole batch of hand signals used in formation flight for radio silent communication. Any USAF pilot, past or present, would recognize those. USN doubtless has signals for similar purposes, but I don’t know if they’re the same as USAF’s. If I had to bet, I’d bet they’re different. US Army has hand/arm signals they use in ground combat. Signals for advance, retreat, open fire, cease fire, poison gas, etc. Likewise signals for marshalling their various vehicles. You really don’t want to be improvising when directing a tank to park among men on foot. On a lighter note … Water skiing has a standard that after the skier falls he/she waves one arm over their head a time or two to signal OK. Lack of an arm wave means trouble. Pretty simple & well thought out. I think the Navy still uses flag semaphore on occasion. A lot of Dopers will recognize the sports referee / umpire signals for common situations in whatever local sports they follow. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/9 "2010-08-09T02:54:52Z")
They do still teach hand signals for driving. My kid had to learn them last month. ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/10 "2010-08-09T16:22:37Z")
[Motorcycle Hand Signals](http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/motorcycle-hand-signals) Don’t confuse any of these with a motorcyclists just waving to each other. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@ThirdOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdOne)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/11 "2010-08-09T19:50:27Z")
Yes, Pravnik, how DOES one order 2 in Europe? I know how _not_ to 😃 ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/12 "2010-08-09T20:16:15Z")
> [@drillrod](#): > > [Motorcycle Hand Signals](http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/motorcycle-hand-signals) > > Don’t confuse any of these with a motorcyclists just waving to each other. Mostly the same on the bicycle. And there have been times when I signaled a right turn, and someone waved back. That’s why I’ve switched to signing with my palm facing to the right, rather than forward. I suppose I could just sign a right turn with my right arm, but the left-hand signs are too ingrained in me. And technically, using a right hand to signal a right turn is not legally accepted. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/13 "2010-08-10T05:03:30Z")
It can be noisy at work, so “I’m going to lunch” is signaled with a hand beside the mouth, spinning as if scooping food in with a spoon. ---
**Author:** ![GHO57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@GHO57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GHO57)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/14 "2010-08-10T05:34:18Z")
> [@ThirdOne](#): > > Yes, Pravnik, how DOES one order 2 in Europe? I know how _not_ to 😃 You say “I would like to buy a round of drinks for everyone”… yes, I know it \*\*\*sounds \*\*\*like you’re offering to buy a round of drinks to the whole bar… but it really means you want 2 beers. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@ThirdOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdOne)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/15 "2010-08-10T23:53:56Z")
Oh ha ha GHO57… I am not naive, I just seem to be. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/16 "2010-08-11T01:51:20Z")
Some useful [bar hand signals](http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/issues/10_02/10_02_bar_signs.htm). ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/17 "2010-08-11T02:08:10Z")
> [@drillrod](#): > > [Motorcycle Hand Signals](http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/motorcycle-hand-signals) > > Don’t confuse any of these with a motorcyclists just waving to each other. I’m not a biker myself, but I really appreciate it when conscientious bikers use the hand signals. Turn signals on motorcycles are often not as visible as turn signals on a car. Much easier to understand their intent from my car when the cyclist is professional enough to signal on her/his own. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-body-signals/549613/18 "2010-08-13T02:31:30Z")
> [@ThirdOne](#): > > Yes, Pravnik, how DOES one order 2 in Europe? I know how _not_ to 😃 In the Czech Republic, thumb and index finger.