# 'Zero!' hand sign: fingers curled or some outstretched? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440 "2018-07-23T15:13:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [July 23, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/1 "2018-07-23T15:13:48Z")
Obviously have too much time on my hands, but. . . It’s common (in the US, anyway) , when someone is answering something with ‘Zero’, to make a hand gesture imitating a numeral zero. Would you normally do it with all fingers curles, or the middle, ring, and pinky somewhat outstretched? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/2 "2018-07-23T15:17:06Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > \ …the middle, ring, and pinky somewhat outstretched? That’s always been the sign for OK. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/3 "2018-07-23T15:58:13Z")
I would normally do it with my fingers curled. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/4 "2018-07-23T16:21:30Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > That’s always been the sign for OK. Eh. . . .Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/5 "2018-07-23T16:48:31Z")
I extend my index finger and draw a circle in the air with it. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/6 "2018-07-23T17:48:05Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/7 "2018-07-24T02:02:58Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > That’s always been the sign for OK. It’s the same finger position for zero and okay, but I’ve never seen anyone do “okay” without also moving their hand forward too. Kind of like how the letter Y and the word yellow are the same finger positions in ASL, but yellow involves movement that Y doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/8 "2018-07-24T02:07:51Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I would normally do it with my fingers curled. Like you were holding a…banana? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/9 "2018-07-24T03:14:30Z")
Be careful where you make the ok or zero gesture. :eek: FWIW I make the sign for zero and Ok the same way. > **[Rude Hand Gestures Around The World In Pictures](https://www.businessinsider.com/rude-hand-gestures-how-to-curse-in-every-langiage-2011-9#brush-your-nose-in-jordan-and-youre-telling-them-youd-like-to-enjoy-a-romantic-exchange-1)** > [@](#): > > This may mean “OK” in America, but in Brazil, Mexico, Russia and several other countries, it’s the sign for a\*\*hole. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/10 "2018-07-24T22:36:44Z")
A vote for curled here. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/11 "2018-07-24T22:40:15Z")
My brain doesn’t recognize there as being a hand sign for zero. To me the version with fingers extended is ‘okay’, and the version with fingers closed is some weird sign language symbol I don’t know because I don’t know sign language? Or maybe it’s a baseball signal? I dunno. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/12 "2018-07-25T15:16:40Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I extend my index finger and draw a circle in the air with it. [They have arrived!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE0-H6jUxb8) ---
**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:** [July 25, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/13 "2018-07-25T15:50:22Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Be careful where you make the ok or zero gesture. :eek: > > FWIW I make the sign for zero and Ok the same way. > [Rude Hand Gestures Around the World in Pictures](https://www.businessinsider.com/rude-hand-gestures-how-to-curse-in-every-langiage-2011-9#brush-your-nose-in-jordan-and-youre-telling-them-youd-like-to-enjoy-a-romantic-exchange-1) I actually remember in my part of the US (Chicago) being jokingly told that the OK sign stands for “asshole” back in the 80s. It was explained as spelling out as A-S-S (pinky-ring-middle finger) and “hole” (the thumb and forefinger “hole” you make in the OK sign.) The area being a mish-mash of ethnicities and cultures, I suppose it was borrowed from one of these cultures and then somebody retrofitted it with an English explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-hand-sign-fingers-curled-or-some-outstretched/818440/14 "2018-07-25T17:10:06Z")
I think I might do it either way.