# misinterpreted gestures **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 31, 2002, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042 "2002-03-31T08:44:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/1 "2002-03-31T08:44:07Z")
I heard a long time ago that in one of the asian countries, giving the A-OK sign is equivalent to flipping someone off. Is that true, and if so, which country is that? Just curious, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/2 "2002-03-31T09:08:42Z")
In Mexico, something very similar to the OK sign is considered obsene. Someone told me it means “f **k your mother’s a** hole,” with the circle representing the hole, but I’m not sure I buy that. ---
**Author:** ![robinc308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@robinc308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinc308)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/3 "2002-03-31T11:00:36Z")
I will never forget when George Bush Snr came to Australia and was giving everyone the victory sign in a motorcade with the back of his hand facing the crowd. In Australia, that’s the same as flipping the bird. After a few minutes, some one whispered in his ear and he quickly turned his hand around the other way - which is perfectly acceptable and understood. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/4 "2002-03-31T11:23:28Z")
Well, everyone here in Korea knows the classic “One Finger Salute” and it’s meaning… but it’s not a Korean gesture… I believe the traditional Korean equivalent is a closed fist with the thumb peeking out between the index and middle fingers, ala the western “I got your nose!” game played with children. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/5 "2002-03-31T13:39:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Astroboy14 \* > \*\*I believe the traditional Korean equivalent is a closed fist with the thumb peeking out between the index and middle fingers, ala the western “I got your nose!” game played with children. \*\* Same thing in Japan. I’ve heard it’s supposed to represent female genitalia, but I could be wrong. I learned this after getting yelled at for teaching the “got your nose” gag to a friend’s daughter. They were American, but their kid went to a Japanese kindergarten and they didn’t feel like getting yet another phone call from the teacher. ---
**Author:** ![NardoPolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/6 "2002-03-31T14:34:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by robinc308 \* > \*\*I will never forget when George Bush Snr came to Australia and was giving everyone the victory sign in a motorcade with the back of his hand facing the crowd. In Australia, that’s the same as flipping the bird… \*\* Dang, I recall it differently. I thought he gave the thumbs-up sign, which is interpreted as “shove it up your ass” in Austrailia. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/7 "2002-03-31T15:50:20Z")
As evidence of my devotion to the principle of ignorance-fighting, I shall post [this link](http://www.csuchico.edu/acms/BADM_001/readings/archived/The%20Web%20of%20Culture%20%5Bgestures%5D.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/8 "2002-03-31T18:04:43Z")
Why does Rat Race come to mind while viewing this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/9 "2002-03-31T20:58:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jabba \* > \*\*As evidence of my devotion to the principle of ignorance-fighting, I shall post [this link](http://www.csuchico.edu/acms/BADM_001/readings/archived/The%20Web%20of%20Culture%20%5Bgestures%5D.htm). \*\* Nice link. Unfortunatly, clicking on “Gestures in Asia and the Pacific.” gets you a “Page can’t be found.” error. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/10 "2002-03-31T21:08:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by \*\*Joel \*\*\* > I heard a long time ago that in one of the asian countries, giving the A-OK sign is equivalent to flipping someone off. Is that true, and if so, which country is that? Just curious, thanks. This is true in Brazil. The gist is essentially that of flipping someone off. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/11 "2002-03-31T21:09:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by \*\*Joel \*\*\* > Nice link. Unfortunatly, clicking on “Gestures in Asia and the Pacific.” gets you a “Page can’t be found.” error. Actually, clicking on all four regions gets the same error. Very content-free. ---
**Author:** ![Azure\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@Azure\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azure_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misinterpreted-gestures/101042/12 "2002-03-31T22:26:01Z")
Isn’t giving thumbs up a rude gesture in some country or another? Or am I insane? On second thought, those two aren’t mutually exclusive.