# Iraqi Thumbs Up

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-thumbs-up/166067>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 2, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-thumbs-up/166067 "2003-04-02T22:36:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-thumbs-up/166067/1 "2003-04-02T22:36:27Z")

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I’ve heard reported that in much of the Arab world, Iraq included, giving the thumbs up sign is almost tantamount to our usage of the middle finger in the US. A recent [CNN article](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/02/sprj.irq.najaf.greeting/index.html) remarks that some Iraqi civilians have been greeting the American troops with thumbs up. Are they actually showing hostility? The article continues to cite other alleged displays of good will, namely denouncing Saddam in poor English and cheering the troops.

Is it likely they adapted the Western usage of the thumbs up for their liberators? Or is it really a subtle form of insulting the invaders?

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**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraqi-thumbs-up/166067/2 "2003-04-02T22:41:10Z")

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[http://politics.msn.com/id/2080812](http://politics.msn.com/id/2080812)

This article claims that it could be a little bit of both.