# On Nodding & Shaking Head

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-nodding-shaking-head/429277>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [December 8, 2007, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-nodding-shaking-head/429277 "2007-12-08T10:39:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![englishteacher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@englishteacher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/englishteacher)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-nodding-shaking-head/429277/1 "2007-12-08T10:39:23Z")

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First off, i love what you’ve done with the place.

Now, as far as the gesture thing goes, you referred to Greeks using the thumbs up as an abusive gesture. having successfully been a greek myself for the past 38 years, I can guarantee that this is not the case. There is an abusive gesture involving use of the thumb in Greece, but it is slightly more complicated: it involves tucking the thumb inside your closed fist and exposing the tip of the thumb between the index and middle fingers. (That’s a handful!) However, this particular gesture was by no means used all over the country (mostly up North) and it seems to have totally disappeared now. While I remember both my parents admonishing me for using it when I was seven or eight, I don’t recall having seen the gesture used in the past twenty years or more.

Anything other info you need on modern Greek culture (if such a thing exists), just drop us a line.

Cheers!

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-nodding-shaking-head/429277/2 "2007-12-08T12:19:23Z")

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Welcome to the SDMB, englishteacher.

A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_450b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_450b.html)

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**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-nodding-shaking-head/429277/3 "2007-12-08T13:53:49Z")

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[QUOTE=englishteacher]  
There is an abusive gesture involving use of the thumb in Greece, but it is slightly more complicated: it involves tucking the thumb inside your closed fist and exposing the tip of the thumb between the index and middle fingers.  
[/QUOTE]  
That sounds like “the fig”, which has been around quite a while; I believe Dante refers to it.

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-nodding-shaking-head/429277/4 "2007-12-12T15:36:58Z")

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In the nod-means-yes societies, such as ours, a person struggling to stay awake could unwittingly signal agreement. Misunderstandings, even date rape :eek: could result. Maybe that’s why some cultures don’t use the nodding yes.

“I see that Nott has agreed to write the newsletter for the coming year.” Huh?