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Finger counting gives away your nationality

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Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#151

Post by rpmisms »

slim wrote: post #148
MengerSponge wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> invention of 4chan They set out to transform a symbol, and they succeeded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_gesture#White_power_symbol If you think it isn't real because it was made up, Vonnegut's Mother Night has you covered: "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

It's funny because that sign represents "allah" :) if I was into conspiracy I would say there's a 4chan elite directing hilarious ops inside 4chan

4chan generally produces some of the most objectively hilarious scenarios. I recommend watching the "He will not divide us" series by Internet Historian on Youtube.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#152

Post by PhillyG »

nirui wrote: post #131
polka_haunts_us wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In various countires with relation to the UK Commonwealth, it's equivalent to giving someone the finger. If you do with a bit of an elbow swing it basically translates to "Shove it up your ass"

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_sign#Origins > This origin legend states that English archers believed that those who were captured by the French had their index and middle fingers cut off so that they could no longer operate their longbows, and that the V sign was used by uncaptured and victorious archers in a display of defiance against the French. I guess that's all the keywords needed in order read the origi…

It's only flicking the v's if the fingertips are pointing upwards, fingers are apart, and the back of the hand is pointing at the person you're gesturing to. We also call it the "reverse peace sign" as it's exactly like that but with your hand pointing the opposite way. Pointing your hand parallel to the ground like you would use scissors is nice and clear as scissors.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#153

Post by nautilius »

Lammy wrote: post #118
nautilius wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it curious that you mention your not being offended at some gesture that happens to mean something a couple 100 or 1000 miles away from where you saw the gesture. Why would it require extra cultural sensitivity to realize that, if you visit some other place, that they have a different language (verbal and non-verbal)?

It's hard to turn off a reflex to something you normally consider an offensive gesture. That kind of unconscious thought works faster than the "…oh, yeah, nevermind" thought. See also: how many times I've unconsciously started pumping my own gas when I drive through Oregon even though I "know" not to.

It’s funny that you write this like it was some natural law rather than your own personal mentality.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#154

Post by Lammy »

nautilius wrote: post #153
Lammy wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard to turn off a reflex to something you normally consider an offensive gesture. That kind of unconscious thought works faster than the "…oh, yeah, nevermind" thought. See also: how many times I've unconsciously started pumping my own gas when I drive through Oregon even though I "know" not to.

It’s funny that you write this like it was some natural law rather than your own personal mentality.

> like it was some natural law

Yeah https://web.archive.org/web/20100611222125/http://biae.clems...

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#155

Post by AnnoyedComment »

MengerSponge wrote: post #60
rpmisms wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you had flashed OK hand gesture... thought you were a member of a fringe group? For what it's worth, this hand sign being a hate dogwhistle is pretty much entirely an invention of 4chan.

> invention of 4chan They set out to transform a symbol, and they succeeded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_gesture#White_power_symbol If you think it isn't real because it was made up, Vonnegut's Mother Night has you covered: "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

By this logic, you should start using racial slurs in a positive way.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#156

Post by undersuit »

unearth3d wrote: post #141
undersuit wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IIRC you aren't supposed to hitchhike with a thumbs up in New Zealand, so I'm guessing we're dealing with a Kiwi. :)

I'm an NZer, you are definitely wrong. You may be thinking of Turkey.

I have no idea any more. I can't find straight answers on a lot of these country and hand sign associations.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#157

Post by MisterSandman »

nikhilgk wrote: post #31
gumby wrote: post #11

> In India, for example, they use the lines between the segments of the fingers to count. My mother does this, and additionally used to do arithmetic this way. She never really taught us how to do math this way.

> In India, for example, they use the lines between the segments of the fingers to count. > This means each digit can represent four numbers and the whole hand can represent 20. The first part is true, but not the second part. You use the thumb as a pointer to track the lines on the other 4 fingers. So you count up to 16 on each hand. Besides, the thumb has 1 line segment less than the other fingers.

I think this is open to interpretation. I'm from India but actually count 3 per finger (i.e. the 3 spaces on your finger between the lines), counting up to a max of 12 per hand.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#158

Post by jjgreen »

nautilius wrote: post #113
jjgreen wrote: post #3

Drinking outside a bar in Paris (so table service) with my girlfriend, the glasses approach empty so I turn to catch the barman's eye. He flicks the Vs (I am culturally sensitive so not offended, he means "two more pints?"), I return the thumbs-up. He brings one pint.

I find it curious that you mention your not being offended at some gesture that happens to mean something a couple 100 or 1000 miles away from where you saw the gesture. Why would it require extra cultural sensitivity to realize that, if you visit some other place, that they have a different language (verbal and non-verbal)?

My natural reaction to flicked Vs is to anticipate danger, "it's kicking off Pru", so I felt rather pleased with myself at recognising the intention of the gesture, hey I'm a man of the world, a sophisticated European; the one pint reveals that I'm just another English schmuck tourist. There is pride, and there is a fall, that's why I found it quite funny.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#159

Post by nautilius »

Lammy wrote: post #154
nautilius wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s funny that you write this like it was some natural law rather than your own personal mentality.

> like it was some natural law Yeah https://web.archive.org/web/20100611222125/http://biae.clems...

Hmm. I still see nothing about a natural law of having to be offended when I misunderstand a different language. For me personally, the whole context shifts. Does your heart start pumping when you see a photograph of Churchill making the same gesture?

It's hard for me to connect your example of filling gas in Oregon to being reflexively insulted. Is that how you feel in your car, reflexively offended by Oregonian gas stations before your cultural sensitivity has time to resurface? Again, I have to say that I am sure personal differences are strong here, because I don't feel an uncontrollable bodily urge to jump put and fill up the tank within 140-220ms [1] of arriving at a gas station before my consciousness kicks in and I can make decisions again.

[1] From your linked article.

Re: Finger counting gives away your nationality

#160

Post by nautilius »

jjgreen wrote: post #158
nautilius wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it curious that you mention your not being offended at some gesture that happens to mean something a couple 100 or 1000 miles away from where you saw the gesture. Why would it require extra cultural sensitivity to realize that, if you visit some other place, that they have a different language (verbal and non-verbal)?

My natural reaction to flicked Vs is to anticipate danger, "it's kicking off Pru", so I felt rather pleased with myself at recognising the intention of the gesture, hey I'm a man of the world, a sophisticated European; the one pint reveals that I'm just another English schmuck tourist. There is pride, and there is a fall, that's why I found it quite funny.

Thanks for the background, and I can certainly relate to trying your best but still being outed as foreigner in no time at all.

What I found is that there seems to be huge difference in cultures about how offended one can be from language (verbal/non-verbal).

Obviously, perceived threat is a different thing altogether!

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