Gestures that are offensive in specific countries
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Gestures That Are Offensive in Specific Countries — Daily trivia Wednesday, April 29, 2026: questions and answers
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Q 01In many Muslim-majority societies, which side is the traditionally 'unclean' hand for eating or passing?
- AThe right
- BThe left
- CWhichever is dominant
- DWhichever is non-dominant
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The left
The left. Where water is used to clean up after the toilet, the left hand does that job, so eating, greeting and passing things go with the right.
Q 02In which country has the thumbs-up traditionally been an insult rather than approval?
- AUnited Kingdom
- BIran
- CUnited States
- DGermany
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Iran
Iran. There the gesture, known as the bilakh, is an unquestioned insult roughly equal to raising a middle finger.
Q 03Which common gesture is highly offensive in the UK, Australia and New Zealand when shown palm inward?
- AV-sign (peace sign)
- BFist bump
- C'OK' sign
- DThumbs up
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V-sign (peace sign)
V-sign (peace sign). Palm out it signals victory or peace, but flicked with the palm facing you it's the equivalent of a middle finger.
Q 04In which country does shaking the head from side to side traditionally mean 'yes'?
- ARomania
- BHungary
- CPoland
- DBulgaria
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Bulgaria
Bulgaria. Bulgarians shake the head for 'yes' and nod for 'no', a reversal also found in parts of Albania.
Q 05In Nicaragua, where index-finger pointing is avoided, people commonly point with which part of the body?
- AThe lips
- BThe chin
- CThe elbow
- DThe eyebrows
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The lips
The lips. Nicaraguans often purse their lips into a kiss shape and aim it at whatever they mean, instead of pointing a finger.
Q 06In which country did a 1950s US vice-president offend a crowd by flashing the 'OK' sign?
- ABrazil
- BArgentina
- CMexico
- DChile
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Brazil
Brazil. Nixon stepped off his plane flashing the sign with both hands as a goodwill greeting, and the São Paulo crowd took offence.
Q 07In which country is the American palm-up 'come here' beckon an insult, because it is used for dogs?
- AMexico
- BSpain
- CJapan
- DSouth Africa
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Japan
Japan. The palm-up American beckon is used there for dogs, so to call a person the hand is held at head height, palm down, fingers waving toward the ground.
Q 08What does Italy's offensive 'corna' or 'horns' gesture imply about the person it is aimed at?
- AThey are strong
- BTheir spouse is unfaithful
- CThey are a joker
- DThey are rebellious
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Their spouse is unfaithful
Their spouse is unfaithful. The horns brand the target a cornuto, a cuckold, and Berlusconi made the sign behind Spain's foreign minister at a 2002 EU meeting.
Q 09In which country is an open palm thrust at someone's face the insulting 'moutza'?
- ASpain
- BFrance
- CItaly
- DGreece
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Greece
Greece. The closer the open palm gets to the target's face, the stronger the insult, so Greeks signalling 'five' keep their palm turned away.
Q 10In which country is the 'fig sign' treated as the equivalent of the middle finger?
- ASweden
- BArgentina
- CTurkey
- DEgypt
Show answer
Turkey
Turkey. There the fig sign equals the middle finger, while in Portugal the same hand shape is worn as a good-luck charm.
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