Sometimes body language speaks louder than words. Take, for example, the famous “goat” fingering, which among criminals means “I’ll tear my mouth, I’ll gouge out blinkers”, among Christians it brings the good news, and in some European countries it is addressed to cuckolds.
And if you stick your little finger out for a joke, what will people think? There are several interesting versions of this. Even at the same time, you can stick out your thumb and immediately become the best friend of surfers or … alcoholics?! First things first.
Why do people put their little fingers away
Some stick out their little fingers purposefully, others unconsciously. This happens mainly at the meal, when a fork, knife, cup or glass is held in this hand. What does a protruding little finger mean today? There are several versions of this:
- A person is trying to look intelligent, sophisticated, wants to show his good manners.
- They say Uncle Abe, aka Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, always did this when he drank tea, and modern Americans are trying to imitate him.
- The protruding little finger of one of the interlocutors means that in their communication there are certainborders.
- An ironic gesture indicating that your monologue is not being taken seriously.
- It is believed that people who lie a lot or hide something unconsciously try to stick out their little fingers.
Today, many people consider such a manner to be bad, vulgar and inappropriate in the modern world. However, the origin of this gesture is quite justified, moreover, there is a version that the protruding little finger is nothing more than a manifestation of a person's genetic memory of his aristocratic ancestors.
Porcelain age and last finger set aside
Until the beginning of the 18th century, only the Chinese owned the art of making porcelain and kept their technology in the strictest confidence. In Europe, porcelain figurines and dishes were terribly expensive and only available to very we althy families.
Porcelain cups for tea drinking were extremely tiny with very tiny handles, and it was impossible to grasp them with all fingers. Therefore, I had to take four, and stick my little finger to the side.
And even in those days they did not hesitate to demonstrate their we alth and all fingers were decorated with rings and massive rings in several rows. Hence another interesting version: there were so many jewels on the fingers that they did not come together and the last finger, the little finger, seemed to be strongly protruding.
It was uncomfortable to wear all the treasures, and the fashion quickly passed, but the gesture remained and was the prerogative of the upper class. However, the servants liked to adopt the manners of the owners, and put asidethe little finger became everything, considering it a good tone and an opportunity to somehow demonstrate their "nobility".
Adherents of the following hypothesis believe that the aristocracy has nothing to do with it and the protrusion of the little finger came from the military.
Battle injury of the valiant hussars
Tired of military exploits, the hussars lodged in inns, where they beautifully and carelessly picked up glasses of wine and did not hesitate to stick out their little fingers a little. Such a gesture could not go unnoticed by the townsfolk, and it was extremely prestigious to imitate hussar manners.
People just didn’t think that the little fingers of the grunt simply didn’t bend from injuries received from the force of impact with the handles of their own weapons - the Hungarian saber or konchar.
It is likely that both versions took place. But palmists have their own opinion, why people stick out their little fingers without knowing it.
Yes, you are in deep stress, gentlemen
Fortune tellers by hand believe that a person involuntarily puts aside the little finger, being in a state of mental confusion. The stronger the emotional tension, the more the finger is retracted. And if a person gesticulates with spread little fingers, he has a lot of stress or deep grief.
In a noble environment, ladies pampered from birth were completely unable to cope with stress and fainted on one known occasion. Accordingly, they constantly experienced some kind of mental anguish and, according to palmists, walked with protruding little fingers. In this manner, they saw charm and sophistication, so both countesses and merchants becamebe depicted on canvases with a gracefully drawn little finger.
After the revolution, the gesture remained a relic of the bourgeoisie, a symbol of vulgarity and affectation. But the protruding little finger and thumb - the famous shaka - takes on completely different meanings.
Chop the fingers of thieves
If you go on vacation to the islands of Polynesia, leave the habit of placing the extreme fingers on your hand at home. According to local belief, this is how hardened scammers greet each other here, and not because they like it that way, but simply there is no other way.
For every theft, the index, middle and ring fingers were chopped off in turn for each theft, and the extreme ones were left so that the punished person would not lose the ability to hold simple tools in his hand.
Hawaiian greeting
What do protruding little fingers and thumbs mean - every surfer and skydiver knows. Many believe that shaka comes from the Hawaiian Islands, where athletes, in anticipation of their big wave, greet each other with this gesture. And then such manners were adopted by conquerors of waves all over the world.
Skydivers do the same, signaling their readiness to bravely jump into the abyss from an aircraft.
In general, in Hawaii, the combination of protruding thumb and little finger is used by everyone - from small to large. This is how people greet, say goodbye and wish each other good luck.
By the way, famous football players very often and with pleasure demonstrate shaku to fans: MohammedSalah, Antoine Griezmann and Ronaldinho. Of course, after scoring a goal.
Caribbean insult
A man who is unfamiliar with the customs of the Caribbean can get into trouble and get himself into serious trouble by showing a girl a shaku even without any ulterior motive.
Here this gesture is used to offer sex, and in the best case, the insolent person will be fined, in the worst case, they will be called to court on charges of harassment.
Should we shudder?
Local outcasts, clustered in the corners of yards, without any words understand what the protruding little finger and thumb mean. Shouldn't you send us a messenger? Maybe a little one? Shall we go, shall we? In this case, it is not necessary to bring your hand to your mouth. You can simply shake the palm with three fingers gathered and the extreme ones apart in front of you, and no extra words are needed.
The secret sign of drug dealers
Another example of the bad use of the famous Shaka. In back alleys and in disreputable clubs, this is how drug dealers inform customers that they can buy weed from them.
Many of them got burned on this gesture, so among drug dealers today they show shaka rarely and extremely carefully.
Call me, call me…
Today there are practically no problems with communication, and people call each other from anywhere and anytime. And earlier, in the era of stationary home phones and booths, it was very fashionable to say goodbye, bringing a hand to your ear with your thumb sticking up and sticking out your little finger. What does this gesture mean, everyone understood:call, buddy, don't disappear!
Therefore, be careful with gestures and learn to read other people's signs, especially when communicating with unfamiliar people. You may be offered a drink, a smoke, or a slap in the face for an insult. A person can interpret quite innocent gestures in his own way, and no one wants to accidentally be in an awkward position.
