# what is the "Indian sign" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457 "2003-06-30T23:41:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/1 "2003-06-30T23:41:31Z")
I was watching “public enemy” with jimmy cagney the other day, and i heard nails nathan say to him “He’s got the indian sign on you”. so, just what is meant by this? (even tho, in this case, it seems that he has him marked as being a chump). i’m looking for an expanded explanation if anyone has one. thanks hh ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/2 "2003-07-01T00:04:04Z")
It means to put a hex on someone or to bring him bad luck. ---
**Author:** ![TheSandman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9dc877/32.png) [@TheSandman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSandman)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/3 "2010-05-10T18:51:47Z")
X-Ray, it’s not a hex. To have the Indian Sign on someone or some creature means to have control and dominance over him. It seems that shamans amongst the Red Indians had a way of gentling and taming wild horses that the white man never learned. The shaman would do essentially nothing except stand calmly and keep the attention of the horse by holding motionlessly a feather cloak or a blanket. The blanket came to be called “The Indian Sign,” although it had little or nothing to do with the gentling procedure. You can find an excellent article on the Long Riders site at [http://www.lrgaf.org/articles/indian-blanket.htm](http://www.lrgaf.org/articles/indian-blanket.htm) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/4 "2010-05-10T20:26:16Z")
“Red Indians”? Did you just arrive from 1953? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/5 "2010-05-10T23:15:24Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > It means to put a hex on someone or to bring him bad luck. > [@TheSandman](#): > > X-Ray, it’s not a hex. To have the Indian Sign on someone or some creature means to have control and dominance over him. Certainly by around 1911 it was used in the sports world as meaning that a pitcher or team had dominance over batters or another team. It began to be used in a general sense about this same time to indicate the same. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/6 "2010-05-11T00:43:12Z")
Excellent! Thanks, guys, hh ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/7 "2010-05-11T00:52:40Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > “Red Indians”? Did you just arrive from 1953? We’re talking about a film and term from **1931** , so the term is perfectly period. In fact, as evinced from the OP, the term is not current today. Period answer for a period term. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/8 "2010-05-11T01:23:10Z")
Isn’t “Red Indian” a Britishism? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/9 "2010-05-11T01:36:22Z")
Yes. That was \*\*TheSandman’\*\*s first post! Welcome, **Sandman**! “Red Indian” was used to differentiate between Native Americans and people from the subcontinent of India. I don’t know how common its usage is today, but it’s generally considered offensive. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/10 "2010-05-11T02:11:32Z")
Sorry, then. The term really is considered rude and archaic here now, though. ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/11 "2010-05-11T14:53:03Z")
Speaking as a “red Indian”, perhaps we can let him off the hook. It is indeed a British term. The family of my brother’s ex (from England), introduced him and me as “red Indians” and truly meant no offense in doing so. They were and are nice people and would have been mortified to think that they gave offense. I do agree, in some contexts, it could be offensive. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/12 "2010-05-11T15:28:15Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Yes. That was \*\*TheSandman’\*\*s first post! Welcome, **Sandman**! “Red Indian” was used to differentiate between Native Americans and people from the subcontinent of India. I don’t know how common its usage is today, but it’s generally considered offensive. Yeah, the politically-correct terms now are “dot” and “feather.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mucksiegooma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@Mucksiegooma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mucksiegooma)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/13 "2012-10-11T16:29:08Z")
I agree that the Indian sign means to have control over. My late Mother used to say " He must have the Indian sign on you" when we were being influenced by somebody. I knew what it meant but didn’t know it’s origin. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/14 "2012-10-11T17:35:59Z")
Interesting correlation between the OP’s post and his name (all names in lowercase). ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-indian-sign/185457/15 "2012-10-11T18:18:12Z")
Double zombie. Must be Indian vodoo.