# Is this a disease and if so, can you name it?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 3, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426 "2016-06-03T20:51:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/1 "2016-06-03T20:51:32Z")
There is this person I keep seeing on TV. Every time this person utters a word they accentuate their speech with hand gestures. My initial thinking is that this person is delusional but my question is as follows. Does such an individual exhibiting this behavior have a pathological disease? If so, can you name the disease? Extra points if there is a woman involved.
---
### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/2 "2016-06-03T21:05:37Z")
Every word, eh? Does this gesture resemble a hand puppet talking?
---
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/3 "2016-06-03T21:41:12Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#):
>
> Extra points if there is a woman involved.
😕 Exactly what kind of gestures are you talking about?
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/4 "2016-06-03T21:43:29Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#):
>
> There is this person I keep seeing on TV. Every time this person utters a word they accentuate their speech with hand gestures.
They’re Italian. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/5 "2016-06-03T22:40:47Z")
Which person are you talking about?
I can think of one who constantly moves one hand and forearm up and down (and occasionally sideways) while speaking.
I can think of another who constantly moves one arm in a back-to-front arc, ending in a downward pointing/jabbing motion while he speaks.
Both movements are striking and, well, repetitive.
Am I getting warm?
---
### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/6 "2016-06-04T00:20:20Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#):
>
> Every time this person utters a word they accentuate their speech with hand gestures. My initial thinking is that this person is delusional but my question is as follows. Does such an individual exhibiting this behavior have a pathological disease?
No. Delusions are beliefs. Unless she’s whacking away imaginary birdies, it’s not likely she’s hallucinating either.
---
### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/7 "2016-06-04T00:47:56Z")
Hold a conversation with someone you know and mimic this person the best you can, sometimes this will give you a clue. It may only happen while making statements so try to mimic exactly waht is going on.
---
### Author:  [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/8 "2016-06-04T01:12:33Z")
Either Italian or someone who often converses with persons who are hard of hearing.
---
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/9 "2016-06-04T01:18:34Z")
Does he have really small hands?
---
### Author:  [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/10 "2016-06-04T02:50:33Z")
I don’t quite get the OP. Are you trying to get us to guess something you think you already know the answer to, or are you genuinely curious about whether this person has a disease?
---
### Author:  [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/11 "2016-06-04T13:57:19Z")
Italian!
You can’t just say linguine… You must hold your hands out, pinch your thumbs and index fingers together, and wave your hands up/down when at the same time saying linguine with an Italian accent.
Here are some lessons…
[http://teamcoco.com/video/giada-de-laurentiis-italian](http://teamcoco.com/video/giada-de-laurentiis-italian)
Map of which finger is which…
[ ](https://astrogurukul.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/fnger-names.jpg)
---
### Author:  [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/12 "2016-06-04T16:56:04Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#):
>
> There is this person I keep seeing on TV. Every time this person utters a word they accentuate their speech with hand gestures. My initial thinking is that this person is delusional but my question is as follows. Does such an individual exhibiting this behavior have a pathological disease? If so, can you name the disease? Extra points if there is a woman involved.
Well, if they’re on TV there should be a name and some videos we could watch.
People accompany their words with gestures all the time, and there is the gestural theory about human language development. It’s possible gesturing and vocal speech evolved together.
I like watching [this guy’s hands](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_gcs09iThXybpVgjHZ_7g) while he talks. They never stop moving.
---
### Author:  [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/13 "2016-06-04T21:45:14Z")
Could the person be signing to deaf viewers while at the same time speaking aloud to those with normal hearing?
---
### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/14 "2016-06-04T23:34:06Z")
I don’t know why you want me to name it, but I’ll oblige. I name it Bartolomeo.
---
### Author:  [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/15 "2016-06-05T01:56:10Z")
Unpopular puffin explains…
> **[Unpopular Opinion Puffin](https://imgflip.com/i/15b8pk)**
>
> An Unpopular Opinion Puffin meme. Caption your own images or memes with our Meme Generator.
---
### Author:  [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-disease-and-if-so-can-you-name-it/756426/16 "2016-06-07T01:46:07Z")
We Jews do this too. The joke “I wanted to tell them! But how could I talk with hands tied behind my back?” appears in our joke books as well.
Certain people just talk with their hands.