Why YSK: No sense in making the locals mad unless you mean to. In some Middle Eastern countries, a thumbs-up is comparable to the middle finger. A peace sign in the UK is OK if your palm is facing away from you; otherwise, it’s an insult. Pointing with your index finger is offensive in Malaysia. An OK symbol is not OK in Brazil, it’s that smelly hole you normally sit upon.

Reader’s Digest did an entire article on these gestures: https://www.rd.com/article/common-hand-gestures-rude-in-other-countries/

  • @wotsit_sandwich
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    62 years ago

    Today I learned that Reader’s Digest is still an ongoing entity.

    • @wotsit_sandwich
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      12 years ago

      In Japan the gesture for “come here” looks like the gesture for “go away” everywhere else.