Hi,
What is the term for a “so-so” gesture you make with your hand?
I look forward to your feedback. It’s not a wobble or a swivel , is it?
davidmich
I guess this is it but is there an English term for it?
Mano a borsa is an Italian gesture, used when something is unclear. It is created by extending all the digits on the hand bringing them together with palms facing up and moving the hand up and down by the action of the wrist and/or elbow. It implies a question, such as “what do you want?”, “what are you saying?” or “what is your point?”, and it generally requires a response. This gesture can be done with either hand or both hands.[17]
I’m not aware of there being any term for it, other than it being described as the “so-so gesture.” If there is a term (and cursory googling is not coming up with anything), it’s not widely known.
The “curate’s egg”?
Never heard a name. I guess ‘so-so’ is an adequate name.
I don’t know if there’s an accepted name, but locally people say “metsa mets”–a corruption of the Italian mezzo mezzo, although I’m pretty sure 99.999% of people who say it don’t realize that.
Is that actually a corruption or a way Italian speakers might actually pronounce it?
In an alternate meaning, Fred Sanford would use it to mean ‘gay.’
I think the gesture speaks for itself as to meaning, but “meh” or Comme ci, comme ça is another way to say it in words.
The best use I’ve seen of the gesture is in a joke involving a gal waking up in bed with an elephant…
I thought you meant one extended hand with the palm face down parallel with the ground, and then waggle of the hand, twisting on the wrist?
That’s what I think of, too, often accompanied by a very high pitched and nasally inflected “Ehhhh!”.
My family say something like ‘coozi-coozi’ (short ‘oo’) to go with this gesture. I have no idea why.
Any chance that might be something like, “cum see, cum sah”?
The term I heard was “mensa mensa”
Couci-couça is a French variant of comme ci, comme ça.
It’s from the Italian cosi cosi: COUCI-COUÇA : Etymologie de COUCI-COUÇA and it means precisely so-so: couci-couça - traduction - Dictionnaire Français-Anglais WordReference.com
Thanks, that’s very interesting. It probably was either of those originally, though my family say it with a definite Australian accent.
Well, I don’t speak Italian so I can’t say 100% for sure, but the population here is about 90% German heritage so most likely it’s a corruption.
Dunno if there’s a name for it, but I interpret the gesture (palm down, hand wavering back and forth) as being akin to a scale that can’t quite tip one way or the other. Compare to waving your thumb back and forth as if trying to decide between thumbs up or thumbs down.