# "Talk to the Hand!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2000, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451 "2000-02-17T01:37:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/1 "2000-02-17T01:37:00Z")
What the heck does this mean? I’ve seen quite a few people use this expression (along with an open palm) as a sort of dismissive gesture; like “I don’t care what you say.” I have even asked people who use this expression what it means, and they don’t know! ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/2 "2000-02-17T01:47:00Z")
I usually see it followed with “‘cause the ears ain’t listenin’!” In other words, “I am not paying any attention to what you are saying.” This phrase came up recently in MPSIMS somewhere, and somebody said that it was originally from the movie “Beautician and the Beast” (Fran Drescher, Timothy Dalton). That sounded unlikely to me, but after some searching I couldn’t find any earlier references. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/3 "2000-02-17T02:06:00Z")
The full expression is “Talk to the hand, because the face ain’t listening.” and, essentially, means “I’m not listening to you.”/“I’m not going to listen to you.” ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/4 "2000-02-17T03:06:00Z")
I saw one child talking to another the other day and the first child was griping at the other and the second child held out her hand with palm out and said, “Talk to the hand, cause I’m not your frand.” lol * * * “I’m the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I’m still the best.” (Paul Newman in The Hustler) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/5 "2000-02-17T03:48:00Z")
I saw one youngster hold up her pager and say “Leave a message”. Cracked me up. 🙂 Peace, mangeorge * * * I only know two things; I know what I need to know And I know what I want to know Mangeorge, 2000 ---
**Author:** ![AzRaek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/azraek/32/16739_2.png) [@AzRaek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzRaek)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/6 "2000-02-17T04:30:00Z")
They’re still saying this? That is soooo twentieth-century! * * * I’m not a fallen angel, I’m a risen demon. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/7 "2000-02-17T05:07:00Z")
I hate this expression. I drop 50 points from the estimated IQ of anyone I hear use it. I think it’s a Jerry Springerism. ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/8 "2000-02-17T12:47:00Z")
Here was the last thread, no real answer there though. [http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/005311.html](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/005311.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/9 "2000-02-17T12:52:00Z")
I took “talk to the hand” to mean “Stop” as in “stop talking right there” since the palm is the same position as if telling someone to stop. I never heard the rest of the phrase, but I got the gist that the ears ain’t listening. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/10 "2000-02-17T14:13:00Z")
In the film STUART LITTLE, the cat says “Talk to the butt” as he turns tail in the middle of Stuart’s speech. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/11 "2000-02-17T15:26:00Z")
I’ve heard “Talk to the hand 'cuz the face don’t understand.” How about these other expressions? 1)Tore up from the floor up 2)Off the hook I think #2 means crazy, why I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/12 "2000-02-17T16:57:00Z")
I can understand the second part, but why ‘talk to the hand?’ The hand itself does not listen, either. Plus, ain’t ya supposed to bob your head back & forthw hen saying it all? ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/13 "2000-02-17T23:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I can understand the second part, but why ‘talk to the hand?’ > > The hand itself does not listen, either. Exactly. Trans.: “You might as well be talking to a brick wall, so just forget it.” > [@](#): > > Plus, ain’t ya supposed to bob your head back & forthw hen saying it all? Y’know, I’ve practiced in front of the mirror for weeks now, but I just can’t get that motion right. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jaydabee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@jaydabee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaydabee)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2000, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/14 "2000-02-17T23:59:00Z")
I always assumed that it was a nice way to say that if you don’t shut up I’m gonna slap you. I’ve actually seen a mother slap here child after being told to talk to the hand and then asked if they wanted to continue talking to the hand! Don’t know if this was the original intent of the saying, but suffice to say this child now shuts up when asked to talk to the hand! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-the-hand/7451/15 "2000-02-18T00:34:00Z")
You see, Im deaf & the deaf talk with their hands, so, see, the hand does talk & you can talk back to it. * * * “Men are like parking spaces, the available ones are handicapped.”