# Thumbs up - Meaning in the Arab World

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-meaning-in-the-arab-world/163856>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 24, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-meaning-in-the-arab-world/163856 "2003-03-24T19:36:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Short](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Short](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-meaning-in-the-arab-world/163856/1 "2003-03-24T19:36:17Z")

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I have read on a few blogs now that the pictures of Iraqis giving “thumbs up” to American troops or reporters were not all they seem. These sites claim that the thumbs up is in fact an offensive gesture in Iraq and other Arab countries.

The only thing I could come up with on Google was [this.](http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Stu/jneilon/ez4.html)

Anyone know the facts on the matter?

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**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-meaning-in-the-arab-world/163856/2 "2003-03-24T21:32:22Z")

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An Iranian guy told me it means “fuck you”.

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**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thumbs-up-meaning-in-the-arab-world/163856/3 "2003-03-24T21:38:15Z")

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Clarification-

[http://www.ooze.com/finger/html/foriegn.html](http://www.ooze.com/finger/html/foriegn.html)

“\*But in Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria and parts of Italy and Greece it is an obscene insult, especially when combined with a sweep of the arms. It most places it roughly means, “Sit on my phallus, asshole,” and carries the same stigmatism as the middle finger. \*”