# What is the term for a so-so gesture you make with your hand? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2015, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896 "2015-02-17T09:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/1 "2015-02-17T09:35:31Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/2 "2015-02-17T09:48:35Z")
I guess this is it but is there an English term for it? > **[List of gestures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gestures)** > > Gestures are a form of nonverbal communication in which visible bodily actions are used to communicate important messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body. Physical non-verbal communication such as purely expressive displays, proxemics, or displays of joint attention differ from gestures, which communicate specific messages. Gestures are culture-specific and may convey very diff This ... 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] ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/3 "2015-02-17T13:38:19Z")
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. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/4 "2015-02-17T14:13:02Z")
The [“curate’s egg”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curate%27s_egg)? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/5 "2015-02-17T14:38:42Z")
Never heard a name. I guess ‘so-so’ is an adequate name. ---
**Author:** ![Loch\_Raven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Loch\_Raven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loch_Raven)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/6 "2015-02-17T19:35:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/7 "2015-02-17T20:06:01Z")
> [@Loch\_Raven](#): > > 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? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/8 "2015-02-17T20:12:05Z")
In an alternate meaning, Fred Sanford would use it to mean ‘gay.’ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/9 "2015-02-17T20:20:50Z")
I think the gesture speaks for itself as to meaning, but “meh” or [Comme ci, comme ça](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comme_ci,_comme_%C3%A7a) 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… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/10 "2015-02-17T20:56:50Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > I guess this is it but is there an English term for it? > > [List of gestures - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gestures) > > 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 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? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/11 "2015-02-17T21:06:18Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > 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!”. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/12 "2015-02-17T21:49:38Z")
My family say something like ‘coozi-coozi’ (short ‘oo’) to go with this gesture. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/13 "2015-02-17T22:16:03Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > 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”? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/14 "2015-02-17T23:01:17Z")
> [@Loch\_Raven](#): > > 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. The term I heard was “mensa mensa” ---
**Author:** ![chiquitita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@chiquitita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiquitita)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/15 "2015-02-18T18:28:41Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > My family say something like ‘coozi-coozi’ (short ‘oo’) to go with this gesture. I have no idea why. > [@Zeldar](#): > > Any chance that might be something like, “cum see, cum sah”? _Couci-couça_ is a French variant of _comme ci, comme ça_. It’s from the Italian _cosi cosi_: [COUCI-COUÇA : Etymologie de COUCI-COUÇA](http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/couci-cou%C3%A7a) and it means precisely so-so: [couci-couça - traduction - Dictionnaire Français-Anglais WordReference.com](http://www.wordreference.com/fren/couci-cou%C3%A7a) ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/16 "2015-02-19T06:11:32Z")
> [@chiquitita](#): > > _Couci-couça_ is a French variant of _comme ci, comme ça_. > > It’s from the Italian _cosi cosi_: [COUCI-COUÇA : Etymologie de COUCI-COUÇA](http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/couci-cou%C3%A7a) and it means precisely so-so: [couci-couça - traduction - Dictionnaire Français-Anglais WordReference.com](http://www.wordreference.com/fren/couci-cou%C3%A7a) Thanks, that’s very interesting. It probably was either of those originally, though my family say it with a definite Australian accent. ---
**Author:** ![Loch\_Raven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Loch\_Raven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loch_Raven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/17 "2015-02-21T02:43:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Is that actually a corruption or a way Italian speakers might actually pronounce it? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-term-for-a-so-so-gesture-you-make-with-your-hand/712896/18 "2015-02-21T03:22:17Z")
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.