Tag Archives: gesture

Minor Genre: Gesture – The Moutza

  1. Text: Gesture of someone thrusting their open hand forward at someone else, all five fingers spread out. Used in Greek culture.
  2. Informants Context: I come from a family of Greek immigrants who haven’t necessarily chosen to teach me about this gesture, but I’ve inevitably learned it from them. The moutza is the Greek equivalent of the middle finger, for better or worse. It’s definitely less offensive than the middle finger and can be used more playfully. It’s ultimately a confrontational gesture though, meant to be displayed as a form of disagreement. The sign also has some superstitious connotations as technically the person giving the moutza is sending a curse to whoever is receiving it. This curse generally just means bad luck. The place I most often learned and observed this from was with my Papou (grandfather). He’s an entrepreneur, completely self-made from the villages and may rank among the smartest, most boss guys I’lve ever known in my whole life. That said, sometimes he has been known to blow the fuse a little bit, and when he does, it’s the moutza that he whips out (laughter). If he wants to double insult someone, he might throw his other hand behind the one that is already thrust open, layering the two of them like pancakes. That’s the ultimate disrespect. This gesture is recognized by Greeks globally but rarely in other cultures. An open hand like the moutza might even be misunderstood as a friendly gesture by certain cultures, including in America where it could be seen as something like a high-five. I personally use the moutza in a mostly fun way, in the kinds of spaces where I could get away with that kind of offensive joke. For example, when I’m with some Greek friends and we’re having a laugh, I might throw it one of their faces to get a reaction. They’ll understand I’m being funny and play along.
  3. Collectors Interpretation: The moutza is firstly a demonstration of power by Greek people. When used in a non-playful context, the gesture is clearly rooted in a show of force or intention to shame people. This might reflect a greater value on the part of Greek people about personal pride and their eagerness to defend it. Moreover, as a potential way to “curse people”, the practice could be seen as a form of contagious magic. It functions on multiple levels as a demonstration of folklore. The fact that the gesture is not universally understood, reflecting different contexts in different parts of the world, continues to demonstrate its folklore roots. It is a practice specific to Greek people, inside the country and abroad, but nonetheless specific to culturally attuned Greeks. This might also reflect a broader culture within Greece surrounding how its people perceive confrontation. If the purpose of the moutza is to pass shame onto someone who has done you wrong, perhaps this reflects a value towards honor. Shame cannot be of value without dignity simultaneously being a high-priority as well.

Fields

AGE: 21

Date_of_performance: May 9, 2025

Language: English

Nationality: American/Greek

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States of America

Finger Point of doom. 

Nationality: African American

Primary Language: English

Other language(s): French

Age: 49

Occupation: Digital Marketing Consultant

Residence: Upstate, NY

Performance Date: 4/18/2025

Context: 

My informant, YD, is a family member of mine who lives in the Hudson Valley area of New York. YD has told me about gestures as they were growing up in quite diverse households, from gestures of Italian culture, Chinese culture, and Swiss culture, I had never truly known what each of these gestures they’d jokingly use with me actually meant to them. So one day I asked them this question, but instead of explaining the gestures they’d learned from their diverse cultural background, the ones in which I had known, they told me the story behind a different kind of gesture, one I had overlooked. 

Text: 

“I’d say the gesture that has the most meaning (good and bad) is the ‘finger point’. Typically growing up the ‘finger point’ was an unspoken instruction or nonverbal scolding. Similar to ‘the look’ that many black families instinctively understand, I had the ability to decipher what my mother was saying when she pointed to something or at me. You didn’t dawdle but moved into action, clearly understanding every ‘word’ and detailed action expected of you. I think it came from slavery’s time frame, from what my mother had told me, when communication needed to be coded. I see this as a badge of honor and super power within our family that has kept me safe and I will continue to teach that instinct within our culture.”

Analysis: 

The “finger point,” as described here, and from my research, isn’t just a scolding gesture or a tool for discipline, but is indeed, part of a coded system of communication that has deep roots in African American cultural survival. YD connects it to practices that may have originated during slavery, when verbal communication was restricted or dangerous, and truthfully so, in many African American folklore studies that explores the development of nonverbal codes as survival strategies, quiet gestures that spoke volumes in unsafe or oppressive environments was common and impressively passed down for generations. That concept alone blows my mind. It’s interesting how YD doesn’t just view the gesture as disciplinary, but as a legacy of resilience, intuition, and inter-generational wisdom. It’s especially meaningful that they frame it as something to be passed down, reinforcing the idea that folklore isn’t always just stories or songs, but also ways of seeing and navigating the world. YD’s account transforms what some might consider a small behavioral detail into a rich cultural artifact, filled with meaning, memory, and pride. I think that’s all so brilliant, and will probably never look at finger pointing the same way again, in a good way I mean. YD’s tale is a great reminder that folklore can live in the body, in silence, and in a single glance or gesture.

Ride Safe Sign

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Language: English

The gesture: Out with the left hand extended downward  by his thigh, “O” made a gesture like a peace sign, the index and middle finger extended and the palm turned forward facing the same direction as him.

“It’s the universal for, like a ‘ride safe’ thing when you pass another biker, like on the opposite side of the street, because there’s that sense of community that comes from riding, so it’s like, when you see someone else who’s taking that risk and is out riding and stuff, you always give them that little sign. And it’s kind of a biker only thing. 

Analysis: As the informant identified, this gesture encourages community members to support each other and recognize their risk and commitment. More than that, this gesture seems like a blessing, especially in its almost compulsory nature. The informant mentions that one ‘always’ gives this sign when seeing another rider as a way to say ‘ride safe’. “Ride safe” in itself is a blessing, a wish upon others to be safe on the road, and the gesture creates a nonverbal blessing that riders can give while also riding safe themselves. Because it is expected to always give this sign, the absence of it might indicate ill will or a jinx, making the upkeep of this tradition and gesture more important to those who believe in its significance.

Knock on Wood

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Language: English

Knock on Wood

“If I say something I think will be jinxed or bring bad luck, I’ll run over to the nearest wood thing and knock on it frantically”

Context: Informant remembers starting this behavior around the start of high school, at about age 14. There is no pattern to the number of times the informant knocks, but they will leave conversations at any point to complete the gesture. The informant does not remember who passed this gesture on to them and does not know of many people who use the same gesture, but hypothesizes the initial knowledge may have been passed unknowingly by interviewer.

Analysis: The folk behavior of ‘knocking on wood’ is meant to ward off bad luck or jinxes brought on by the verbal mention of such knowledge. It acts as a measure of protection for the informant, and requires immediacy. It is implied that if one does not complete this action, they might be accidentally inviting bad things to happen to them. Additionally, whether the practice does ward off jinxes or not, its belief has significance to the perception of subsequent events and may be used as reasoning for good/bad luck following the gesture. Notably, this gesture is in response to a specific statement, not a broad gesture to ward off evil. The individual must speak the opportunity for jinxes into existence, and this gesture is not useful before a statement has been theorized.

Hinduism Gesture

Tags: Gesture, Hinduism, India, Spiritual and Religious Practice

Text

Offerings can only be given using the right hand.

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: Indian

Age: 22

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Northwest Arkansas, USA

Date of Performance: February 2024

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Relationship: Friend

Context

AH, the informant, is of Indian descent. Her father practices Hinduism and speaks Tulu. He has been a very influential figure in her upbringing.

Analysis

This gesture/cultural practice stems from an Indian practice where the left hand is used to cleanse the body, leaving the right hand reserved for purity exchanges. A purity that is valued in Hinduism spiritual and religious rituals, for mind, speech, and body. To use the left hand to give offerings, for example, would be considered taboo.