"In symbols there is a meaning that words cannot define."
- Ibn al' Farid,
Arab poet
One of the principal differences between one society and another is its folklore and form of gesturing. For instance, although many societies use the same gestures, their meaning might be totally different, signaling the potential for conflict.
To know their significance is important to better understand other cultures. It might also save your life.
The U.S. gesture for hitchhiking means "sit on this" in Sardinia and "screw you" in Iran. The American way of gesturing "OK" is a sign for money in Japan and the Philippines, sex or good in Mexico, homosexual in Ethiopia and obscenity in Brazil. It is also a threat of murder in Tunisia and zero, or nothing, in many countries in western Europe.
The crossed-fingers sign many use to hope for something is a way of rudely rejecting or denying something in Russia. The "V" sign for victory when done with the palm facing you is the equivalent of the middle finger gesture in the United Kingdom.
In Mexico, if you close the hand and leave the pointing finger standing and then turn it back and forth, it means the person likes "screwing around."
For really advanced gesturing, to gesture zero in Lebanon, simply place the tip of your thumb in your mouth behind your front teeth then flick it out. This is known in the gesture-jargon as the "teeth flick."
Gestures are usually used to convey the ultimate insult. However, in Holland, Norway and Switzerland, insulting gestures are rarely used.
For superstitions, when your nose itches, the Dutch believe that good news can be expected. In Germany, seeing a chimney sweep is a sign of good luck. In central Europe, they used to believe that the red mushrooms with white dots are the homes of pixies and elves. In Spain and Greece, Tuesday the 13th is the unluckiest day of the year.
Use of idiomatic expressions can also be a cultural display, and the way some expressions are used is catchy. To convey incompetence in French, say, "Muet comme une carpe," or "Dumb as a carp." One Spanish expression says, "Inútil como la bocina del avión," or "Useless as an airplane's horn." In German, say, "Zu dumm, einen Eimer Wasser umzostoen," or "Too stupid to knock over a bucket of water."
For quirks, the Spanish say, "Discreto como pedo de monja," or "Discreet as a nun's fart," while the Portuguese say "Vaidoso que nem um pero," or "He is as vain as a turkey."
The Dutch express lunacy as "Zo zot als een achterdeur," or "Crazy like a back door."
Wherever you are, take heed of how you use your hands and word your sentences at all times. Other cultures don't think the way you do. Also, these gestures and expressions might only be used in one region of the country.
Or, in the words of a Chinese proverb, "On entering a country, ask what is forbidden; on entering a village, ask what are the customs; on entering a private house, ask what should not be mentioned."
Friends and the Internet were senior journalism student Lasquite's main sources for this column.