17 Responses to “The Perfect slogan”

1. clear Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 1:19 pm

   of all the egyptian mannerisms and hsbc pick that one for Egypt- geniuses!

2. Janjan Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 1:33 pm

   HA! They do that in Israel, too. The first time I saw it I thought it was a rude Italian thing! (Comes from growing up in Brooklyn).

3. Hossam el-Hamalawy Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 2:40 pm

   Lol!!

4. Drima aka SudaneseThinker Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 2:54 pm

   SM,

   Doesn’t that gesture mean “fuck you” in Italian??? Not so nice ey?

5. Adam B. Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 4:06 pm

   I think it means “Come on!”, “Relax!”, “I can’t believe it!” etc… “Fuck you” seems a bit too strong for a gesture that you see in the streets of Italy every day…?

6. ALiandra Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 4:26 pm

   Ok, what does that gesture really mean?

7. Doomtrooper Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 5:31 pm

   Hey this is a cool place. Actually, from my italian roots when the women (grandmother, aunts, yeah even dad come to think of it) used to do that to us when we were kids it usually meant something like “what the hell are you doing?” Or “are you out of your mind”, or even “what do you want from me”.

8. BrooklynJon Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 5:38 pm

   Drima,

   Virtually everything you can do with your upper extremities means “fuck you” in Italian. Or at least the version of Italian used in Brooklyn. The only gestures that don’t mean that, generally mean “Your mammary glands are well proportioned,” technically speaking.

9. clear Says:
   September 22nd, 2006 at 6:09 pm

   aliandra, it means be patient, or wait a bit.

   it’s egypt all over!

10. Doomtrooper Says:
    September 22nd, 2006 at 6:42 pm

    “”"The only gestures that don’t mean that, generally mean “Your mammary glands are well proportioned,” technically speaking. “”

    Thats funny, but usually requires the use of both hands for that little gesture. hee hee

11. Libyan Warrior Says:
    September 22nd, 2006 at 7:53 pm

    lol. u got that one from the London Airport.lol. I love those things.lol

12. Janjan Says:
    September 22nd, 2006 at 9:04 pm

    In Israel it means “Wait a sec”, “hold on a minute”, same as in Egypt.

13. Arnie in NYC Says:
    September 23rd, 2006 at 2:02 am

    I submit that this gesture viewed in isolation is incomplete and hence ambiguous. It is like looking at a string of consonants. Add in different vowels and you might get a number of entirely different messages. To use a word bandied about these days, it all depends on the ‘context’. In this case, the ‘vowels’ or the ‘context’ depends on the accompaning facial expression. If this hand gesture is delivered with eyes narrowed and mouth turned down in a sneer, it clearly means “Fuck You”. But if it comes with eyebrows lifted and brow furrowed, it means “Don’t be so impatient.” The hand gesture by itself is somewhat neutral. It is the companion facial expression that provides the emotional tone and delivers the message.

14. Drima aka SudaneseThinker Says:
    September 23rd, 2006 at 5:57 am

    Aaah Arnie NYC, YES!

    You’re right. I remember that’s exactly what my friend told me. She’s half Italian half Saudi and been living in Italy for a while. It all depends on the accompanying face expression.

    Well, in this case SM’s pic has no face so I guess it’s safe.

15. Fabian Says:
    September 24th, 2006 at 9:13 am

    In Argentina it means “what do you want?” or “what the hell are you doing?” depending on the situation. It must have come to us through our massive Italian immigration.

    It was very difficult for me to try to use that gesture in Israel to ask for “just a sec”, or “just a minute”, because I usually use the Argentinian way: The index finger of one hand poiting upwards and the other hand covering it as a roof, “one minute”.

16. Puniqe Says:
    September 24th, 2006 at 1:56 pm

    This is a Lebanese gesture as well.

17. alif Says:
    September 26th, 2006 at 6:19 am

    When gestured in one suggestive motion from down upwards it can also mean “Stuff it” in Egypt.

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