Description
An illustrated guide to more than 850 gestures and their meanings around the world, from a nod of the head to a click of the heels.
Gestures convey meaning with a flourish. A vigorous nod of the head, a bold jut of the chin, an enthusiastic thumbs-up: all speak louder than words. Yet the same gesture may have different meanings in different parts of the world. What Americans understand as the A-OK gesture, for example, is an obscene insult in the Arab world. This volume is the reference book we didnt know we neededan illustrated dictionary of 850 gestures and their meanings around the world. It catalogs voluntary gestures made to communicate openlyas distinct from sign language, dance moves, involuntary tells, or secret handshakesand explains what the gesture conveys in a variety of locations. It is organized by body part, from top to bottom, from head (nodding, shaking, turning) to foot (scraping, kicking, playing footsie).
We learn that to oscillate the head while gently throwing it back communicates approval in some countries even though it resembles the headshake of disapproval used in other countries; that to tap a slightly inflated cheek constitutes an erotic invitation when accompanied by a wink; that the middle finger pointed in the air signifies approval in South America. We may already know that it is a grave insult in the Middle East and Asia to display the sole of ones shoe, but perhaps not that motorcyclists sometimes greet each other by raising a foot. Illustrated with clever line drawings and documented with quotations from literature (the author, Franis Caradec, was a distinguished and prolific historian of literature, culture, and humorous oddities, as well as a novelist and poet), this dictionary offers readers unique lessons in polylingual meaning.
Author: Francois Caradec
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 08/01/2023
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780262547994
Language: English
This title is only available via back order
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