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Quote Originally Posted by Ethelred Unread View Post
I remember Non-Verbal Comms from Uni doing linguistics.

Here's some:-

Handshake - Although generally adopted around the world. Southeast Asians press together; Japanese bow; Middle Easterners and many Asians favor a gently grip.
DIRECT EYE CONTACT - Asians, Puerto Ricans, West Indians, African American, Native Americans considered it to be rude, or disrespectful, or intimidating, or may indicate sexual overtones.
WAVING - "No" to most Europeans. Europeans raise the arm and "Bob" the hand up and down at the wrist."
BECKONING - Europeans and Asians raise the arm, palm facing down, and make a scratching motion with fingers. In Australia and in Indonesia, curling the index finger is used for beckoning animals.
"V" FOR VICTORY--In England, palm facing inward toward the face is an obscene gesture.
THE O.K GESTURE--In France it means zero. In Japan it means money or coins. In Brazil, Germany, and the former USSR., it is obscene gesture.
THUMBS UP --Also used for hitch-hiking in American. In Nigeria a rude gesture. In Australia, if pumped up and down is an obscene gesture. In Germany and Japan, the signal for "one."
WHISTLING--Throughout Europe, whistling at public events is a signal of disapproval, even derision.
NODDING AND SHAKING HEAD--Opposite meaning in Bulgaria, parts of Greece, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Iran, and Bengal.
CRAZY-- In Argentina, "you have telephone call."

from this website (which is good cos it has academic references) http://www.csupomona.edu/~tassi/gestures.htm

You probably don't need the academic refs if you only want a list but they'd be good to quote in any assignment.

Cheers, good stuff.

Quote Originally Posted by Ethelred Unread View Post
THUMBS UP -- In Australia, if pumped up and down is an obscene gesture.
This confused me at first as I'm an aussie and I didn't know what you were talking about. If someone did that we would most likely just think they were strange.

It is offensive however because it is usually combined with some insulting comment, along the lines of "up yer bum" or "sit on this" for a couple of examples I can safetly write here.