# Poll: Do you gesture with your hands when you talk?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 18, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744 "2023-08-18T00:18:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/1 "2023-08-18T00:18:07Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/1))_
Feel free to share details. Personally I don’t do this very often but when I get in ‘teaching mode’ (especially with patients) I sometimes use gestures.
Honestly, the Mrs. has started gesturing a LOT while talking, and I’m trying really really hard to not be annoyed by this, as I can only lose by being annoyed by it.
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/2 "2023-08-18T00:19:56Z")
Chit-chatting? No. In front of a group of people (like a presentation or facilitating a workshop)? Always.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/3 "2023-08-18T00:24:02Z")
I think I always have, I will defend it as it just seems to be a learned by early observation trait among Italian-Americans from NYC. Maybe Italians in general.
One theory I saw a while back was when the Italians first arrived and moved into our crappy tenements there were some real language issues as in Italy in the 1890-1920 period, every town and hill in Italia had a different dialect. So the hand signals aided communication and it just stuck.
But countering this is that apparently in large areas of Italy, talking with hand gestures is pretty common also.
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Oh, I’m guilty, as are most of my siblings, of the gesticulations get more pronounced and rapid if we’re agitated or excited.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/4 "2023-08-18T00:27:37Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> Chit-chatting? No. In front of a group of people (like a presentation or facilitating a workshop)? Always.
This. Especially in court.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/5 "2023-08-18T00:32:49Z")
Words mean nothing.
[I talk with my hands.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKyCHKGNeck)
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EKyCHKGNeck/maxresdefault.jpg ""I Talk With My Hands" - The Rainmakers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKyCHKGNeck)
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/6 "2023-08-18T01:00:51Z")
I even do so when I’m talking to someone by phone. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/7 "2023-08-18T01:17:53Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> Maybe Italians in general.
I was arguing a case in French once and Piper Dad was in the audience.
Afterwards he said: « Did you know that you talk with your hands a lot more when you’re speaking French, than when you’re speaking English? »
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/8 "2023-08-18T01:21:10Z")
Love it.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/9 "2023-08-18T02:10:43Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> I think I always have, I will defend it as it just seems to be a learned by early observation trait among Italian-Americans from NYC. Maybe Italians in general.
Same. I do it more when I’m experiencing emotions. I can remember a high school drama production where the teacher, who didn’t like me at the best of times, told me “stop talking with your hands—you look like an Italian.” I’m sure I was doing it because I was nervous, but at least I had the presence of mind to say “I _am_ Italian.” Which made no impression on her, but salved my dignity.
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### Author:  [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/10 "2023-08-18T02:35:59Z")
I had to think hard about it before I could answer. I don’t use my hands a lot, but if I’m trying to explain something (even on the phone), I will. I’m thinking it’s something you learn - or not - when growing up.
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### Author:  [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/11 "2023-08-18T02:46:27Z")
I’ve had people threaten to hold my hands still to see if I could still talk. Including my family.
I think it’s because I’m a kinesthetic learner.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/12 "2023-08-18T03:13:02Z")
I do it all the time. I don’t even notice it, but, at least growing up, it was remarked upon a lot. When I’m excited about what I’m talking about – and that is quite often – I can’t help but get the full body involved. I also tend to lose track of my volume when I’m really into a conversation and have to be told to drop it a few decibels, or be deliberately concentrating on not talking too loud. Like gesturing, it’s really subconscious.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/13 "2023-08-18T03:13:53Z")
> [@Seanette](#):
>
> I even do so when I’m talking to someone by phone. 🙂
Hell, when I’m having a very concentrated internal monologue I gesture.
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### Author:  [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/14 "2023-08-18T03:23:33Z")
I do, but only in a subdued, gentlemanly/ladylike manner. I gesture to _emphasize_ a point, not to _make_ a point.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/15 "2023-08-18T03:34:07Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> Chit-chatting? No. In front of a group of people (like a presentation or facilitating a workshop)? Always.
It’s funny, I went through some executive presentation training where we were guided on (among a dozen other things) how do use our hands when presenting. Which was fine, except at any time after that I saw another executive presenting, I recognized which hand motions they were using in what situations, and it somewhat distracted me. 🤷♂️ 💁♂️🙅♂️🙆♂️
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### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/16 "2023-08-18T03:36:03Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> It’s funny, I went through some executive presentation training where we were guided on (among a dozen other things) how do use our hands when presenting. Which was fine, except at any time after that I saw another executive presenting, I recognized which hand motions they were using in what situations, and it somewhat distracted me. 🤷♂️ 💁♂️🙅♂️🙆♂️
Did this executive presentation training, by chance, involve the holding of invisible balls of varying sizes?
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/17 "2023-08-18T03:51:32Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> Did this executive presentation training, by chance, involve the holding of invisible balls of varying sizes?
lol “holding the ball” was indeed one action, and you could vary it, but if the trainer had used the phrase “holding invisible balls of various sizes” I might have lost it.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/18 "2023-08-18T05:40:40Z")
Just yesterday I was participating in an online conference for work, and midway through explaining something I realized I was gesturing enthusiastically at the laptop camera but the conference video was off so nobody could see me, and I had such a mental hiccup that I stopped short and immediately lost my train of thought.
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### Author:  [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/19 "2023-08-18T09:55:51Z")
I gesture a lot with my hands at work as my job involves presentations and I find that it helps getting the message across more efficiently and clearly.
I also do that when I’m comfortable with someone, it’s more fun, especially if they reciprocate.
Otherwise, I can, and do, refrain.
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### Author:  [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-gesture-with-your-hands-when-you-talk/988744/20 "2023-08-18T15:36:23Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#):
>
> I had to think hard about it before I could answer. I don’t use my hands a lot, but if I’m trying to explain something (even on the phone), I will.
I’m the same way. Usually I only use my hands when describing a manual task or an object.
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