What country is the pinky finger offensive?

The use of the pinky finger is frowned upon in China. Pointing with the finger is considered rude and disrespectful. In Chinese culture, it is rude and interpreted as disrespect. If you point your finger at someone or something, the person might assume you're insulting them.

What does sticking up your pinky finger mean in Japan?

Another colorful Japanese gesture is the raising of your pinkie finger to indicate another man's wife, girlfriend or mistress — or possibly all three, depending on the man.

What does lifting your pinky mean in China?

Another thing you must not do in China is to stick out your pinky finger. This means that something does not make you happy. For the Chinese, the hand gesture is like giving a thumbs down sign.

What does putting up your pinky mean?

Pinky up. Another type of hand gesture that can result in some cross-cultural mishaps are the ones that mean something completely different in another culture. For example, in the U.S. and many other countries, putting your pinky up is usually a sign of pretending to be fancy. ▼ It's basically the only way to drink tea ...

Is sticking up the pinky finger offensive?

In China, if one holds up a little finger at another, it is usually considered vulgar, just as holding up a middle finger in the United States and other countries is generally regarded as offensive.

Top 10 Rudest Gestures Around The World

What does the pinky finger mean in Korea?

Promise swear

This is Korea's version of a pinky swear. In fact, you will start making the gesture by indeed interlocking your pinkies like in a pinky swear. But then, because that is not sufficient for making a promise, with your pinkies interlocked, you will also have the same hands' thumbs pressing together on top.

What does pinky mean in slang?

(offensive, slang, ethnic slur) A white person. synonym ▲ Synonyms: see Thesaurus:white person.

Is the middle finger offensive in Japan?

It is particularly rude in China, Japan, and Indonesia. In some European and Middle Eastern countries, it is customary to point with your middle finger. However, this gesture is very offensive in most Western nations and considered impolite in many other countries, especially when taken out of context.

What is the middle finger in France?

The middle finger in French is called le majeur (the thumb is le pouce; index finger is l'index; ring finger is l'annulaire and 'pinkie' is l'auriculaire) but the use of honneur is a hark back to the phrase in Latin: digitus impudicus – le doigt indécent (unchaste finger).

When did pinky swear start?

Pinky swearing has origins in Japan from 1600-1803, where it is called yubikiri (指切り, "finger cut-off") and often additionally confirmed with the vow "Pinky swear, ten thousand punches, whoever lies will be made to swallow a thousand needles." (指切り拳万、嘘ついたら針千本呑ます, "Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu").

What is the middle finger in Greece?

Earlier, the Greeks used the middle finger as an explicit reference to the male genitalia. In 419BC, the playwright Aristophanes puns in his comedy The Clouds about dactylic (finger) rhythm, with a character gesturing first with his middle finger and subsequently with his crotch.

What does ? mean in Japan?

The OK gesture or OK sign or ring gesture (symbol/emoji: "?") is performed by connecting the thumb and index into a circle, and holding the other fingers straight or relaxed away from the palm. Commonly used by divers, it signifies "I am OK" or "Are you OK?"

What is the Russian middle finger?

In Russia, the middle finger is used to simply point (usually at the speaker themselves) and to communicate emphasis.

What does thumbs up mean in Russia?

That innocent "thumbs up"? In Greece, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and several other places, it actually means "up yours."

What is the middle finger in China?

No, the Chinese version of the Western middle finger would be to place your thumb between your pointer and index fingers. Sticking up the pinky finger in China is considered rude though, as it's meant to belittle or emasculate the viewer.

Is pointing rude in UK?

Pointing UK-style

As in most countries, pointing at someone with just your index finger is rude in the UK, so you should usually use an open hand with the palm up and all four fingers pointing towards the person.

What does the middle finger mean in Germany?

In southern Europe it's a lot like giving someone the middle finger. In England and Germany it is a rude and threatening gesture telling you to 'get lost' and can also be a sexual gesture about women, but it is usually only used for this meaning without a woman's presence.

What is the rude finger in Indonesia?

Middle Finger

It's considered very rude and even strange to actually get angry in public, so flipping someone the bird because of their driving is considered significantly more rude than in many Western countries.

What does thumbs-up in Iran mean?

3. Thumbs up. In many areas of the world a thumbs up signal is interpreted as meaning “Okay” or “I agree.” However, in Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, South America, the Middle East and parts of Italy and Greece it is an obscene insult meaning “sit on it” which is their equivalent to holding a middle finger up.

What does thumbs-up mean in Brazil?

Throughout Brazil, use the thumbs-up gesture to indicate that something is OK. The gesture created by making a circle with your thumb and index finger and holding your other fingers up in the air has a very rude meaning.

Where does the term pinky finger come from?

You might think that it is called pinkie because European little fingers are usually coloured pink, but this isn't so (though its modern survival might owe something to this idea). It derives from a much older sense of pinkie for something tiny, which in turn comes from one meaning of the adjective pink.

What does crossing your fingers mean in Japan?

It's hard to explain why crossing your fingers means hoping for good luck, it's just something that's so ingrained in our brains. My Japanese coworkers theorized that it was related to the “peace sign” that Japanese people often make in photos (because peace = luck?), so I just went with that.

What is taboo in South Korea?

Taboos in South Korean Culture

Do not wear your shoes in places of worship or peoples' homes. Do not put your feet on furniture. Do not eat or drink in public places while walking. Do not place your thumb between your middle and index finger while making a fist as this an obscene gesture. Do not use red ink.

What does flicking your thumb off your teeth mean?

Flicking your thumb from the back of your upper front teeth toward someone is seriously nasty in India and Pakistan and simply means “f*** you.” Very nice. This sign will likely get you ejected from any place of business and not welcomed back. The head-shake.