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And as anyone living in America knows, you'll see an impressive (dismaying?) assortment of people using it, from prominent politicians to movie stars. A news database search reported by NPR noted the phrase "giving the finger" was used three times more from 2000 to 2010 than it was between 19. In the past, the gesture was a bit shocking to see. This is a very old insult, even used by fourth-century philosopher Diogenes, and always known as a phallic gesture. You can make the sign calmly, or angrily extend your arm toward the intended recipient, depending on how upset you are.
The gesture involves sticking up your middle finger with your palm facing in. Giving them "the finger." The gesture means screw you. The most offensive gesture in America is flipping someone off. It may also have a particular meaning only to one subset of people, such as gay people or the elderly, no matter where in the country you are. To make things more difficult, a gesture's meaning can also differ within a country, depending upon the locale. Many hand gestures that are innocuous or positive in one country can be incredibly insulting or obscene in another. What you should be thinking about are local hand gestures, especially if you're someone who can't speak without animatedly flinging your hands and arms about. The rest comes via body language: gestures, posture, facial expressions, proximity and touch.
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Words comprise but a mere 7 to 35 percent of human communication. Worried about your upcoming trip abroad because you don't speak the native language? That's probably the least of your problems. Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan give the "cutis" (an obscene gesture in India and Pakistan) to the Australian cricket team as he leaves the field during a rain delay in the middle of a test match between the two countries in 2004.