When we think about the 10 common hand gestures we use every day, we often assume their meanings have always been what they are now. Yet, a deep dive into body‑language studies shows that many of these motions started out with very different, sometimes scandalous, connotations. Below we rank ten of the most recognizable hand signals, uncovering the surprising stories behind each.
10 Common Hand Gestures Explained
10 Middle Finger
The notorious middle finger is universally recognized as one of the most offensive signs in modern culture, conveying everything from a blunt “go away” to an explicit vulgarity. However, when it first appeared in ancient Greece, it bore a very different meaning. The Greeks called it katapygon, a term used to mock a man who had been penetrated during homosexual activity.
Later, the Romans borrowed the gesture, labeling it digitus impudicus – literally “shameless or indecent finger.” By the 1700s, the gesture evolved to represent sexual intercourse, with the upright digit symbolizing a penis and the adjacent fingers standing in for testicles.
Italian immigrants brought the gesture to the United States in the 1800s, where it solidified into the modern insult we know today. It quickly supplanted shouting as a quick, visual way to express displeasure toward another person.
9 Salute
The origins of the salute are a bit murky. One hypothesis suggests that ancient Roman soldiers raised their hands in greeting, though no concrete evidence backs this claim. Another theory points to medieval knights who lifted their visors with a hand to signal friendliness, yet this too is disputed.
A more reliable account credits British soldiers. Before the 18th century, soldiers would remove their hats to acknowledge higher‑ranking officers. When elaborate hats became fashionable, the gesture shifted to a brisk slap of the brim, a quicker alternative to hat‑removal. The British army eventually formalized this motion into the salute we recognize today.
Interestingly, the U.S. military salutes with the palm down, whereas the British keep the palm outward. This distinction traces back to the British Navy, which adopted a palm‑down salute because sailors often had dirty hands, making a palm‑up gesture impractical.
8 Handshake
The handshake is arguably the most ubiquitous hand gesture worldwide. Its exact birthplace is debated, but many scholars agree it dates back centuries to a time when men routinely carried weapons.
In close‑quarters encounters, two men would clasp right hands to prove they weren’t concealing blades. The up‑and‑down motion we still use today helped dislodge any hidden arms, turning a simple greeting into a safety check.
Another plausible origin links the handshake to oath‑taking. A ninth‑century BC relief depicts King Shalmaneser III of Assyria sealing an alliance with King Baba‑lam of Babylon by shaking hands, suggesting the gesture once symbolized formal agreements.
The Quakers popularized the handshake in the 17th century as a sign of equality, preferring it over bowing or hat‑removal, which they felt implied hierarchy.
7 Crossed Fingers
Crossed fingers serve a dual purpose: they’re a classic luck‑bringing sign and, paradoxically, a covert way to indicate a lie or a planned back‑track on a promise. Their origins are contested, reflecting this split personality.
One school of thought places the gesture in pre‑Christian Europe, a time steeped in superstition. People believed that benevolent spirits dwelled at the intersection of crossed lines; by forming a single cross with their index fingers, they hoped to attract those spirits’ favor.
Another narrative ties the sign to early Christianity. Persecuted believers allegedly used the crossed‑finger configuration—each forming an “L” with thumb and index finger and then interlocking them—to secretly signal one another while avoiding detection.
Regardless of its true birth, the gesture gained widespread popularity during the 14th century Hundred Years’ War. Soldiers would cross their fingers for luck and protection, finding the two‑finger cross the only feasible way to make the sign while gripping weapons.
The lying connotation stems from early Christians who, when forced to deny their faith, would cross their fingers to invoke divine protection from punishment, effectively using the gesture as a shield against accusations.
6 Sign of the Horns
The “sign of the horns” is a versatile hand symbol formed by extending the index and pinky while folding the middle and ring fingers, thumb holding them down. In Italy, when the horns point downward, the gesture wards off bad luck and the evil eye, known there as the corna. Conversely, if directed at a person and swiveled, it becomes an insult implying cuckoldry.
Rock ’n roll embraced the sign in the 1970s. It first appeared on the cover of Coven’s album and later on The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” Ronnie James Dio popularized it in heavy metal, claiming he learned it from his Italian grandmother as a protective talisman against the evil eye. The gesture quickly became a staple of metal concerts after Black Sabbath’s tour with Dio.
Beyond music, the horns have been adopted by the notorious MS‑13 gang. The shape resembles an inverted “devil horns” forming the letter “M,” symbolizing ferocity and nonconformity.
In Texas, the gesture is best known as the “Hook ’em Horns” sign for the University of Texas at Austin, mimicking the longhorn mascot Bevo’s head and horns. Various other sports teams also use similar hand signs to represent mascots such as bulls, bison, or devils.
Bram Stoker even referenced the symbol in his 1897 novel Dracula, underscoring its cultural reach.
5 V‑Sign
The V‑sign carries opposite meanings depending on orientation and geography. In the United States, the palm‑outward version signals peace or victory, while the palm‑inward version, popular in Britain, is considered a rude equivalent of the middle finger.
One theory traces the gesture to the 1415 Battle of Agincourt, where English archers allegedly raised two fingers to mock French soldiers who had amputated the two fingers essential for drawing a bow. This act of defiance supposedly evolved into a broader sign of triumph.
Another account links the V‑sign to a medieval cuckold gesture, where the little and index fingers were extended to mock a husband whose wife had been unfaithful. Though less severe than a direct insult, it conveyed social scorn.
4 Thumbs Up And Thumbs Down
Today, a thumbs‑up signals approval while a thumbs‑down denotes disapproval. Their roots lie in ancient Roman gladiatorial contests, where the term pollice verso (“turned thumb”) described the referee’s decision.
When a wounded gladiator lay on the arena floor, the audience signaled whether the combatant should live or die. A raised thumb meant the loser should be slain, whereas a lowered thumb—interpreted as “swords down”—indicated mercy and spared the fighter’s life.
3 Clenched Fist
The clenched fist has become the ultimate emblem of solidarity, defiance, and collective power. While many associate it with civil‑rights movements, its earliest political use dates back to the Spanish Civil War, where communists needed a counter‑symbol to the fascists’ open‑palm salute.
Communists adopted the fist to convey that they were not to be trifled with. The closed hand, with its four weak fingers and a strong thumb forming a compact unit, contrasted sharply with the open palm’s display of vulnerability.
From Spain, the clenched fist spread to other left‑wing and anti‑colonial groups worldwide, eventually permeating a broad range of protest movements as a universal sign of unity and resistance.
2 Shaka Sign
The shaka sign, formed by extending the pinky and thumb while the remaining fingers rest on the palm, is a staple of Hawaiian culture. Accompanied by the chant “Shaka, brah!” it conveys a spectrum of meanings: hello, goodbye, thanks, “hang loose,” “right on,” “no rush,” and an all‑encompassing “everything’s good.”
Its origins are contested, but two stories credit Hawaiian Hamana Kalili, who lost three fingers on his right hand. One tale says Kalili unintentionally created the gesture while blessing someone; another claims he used it to fend off children trying to hop onto trains. Some accounts even attribute the sign to a surfer who survived a shark bite that removed three fingers.
A fourth theory suggests early Spanish explorers introduced the gesture, raising their thumbs to their lips to signal friendliness and an invitation to share a drink, a custom that may have merged with local practices.
1 Vulcan Salute
The Vulcan salute mirrors the V‑sign but uses all four fingers on a single hand. Starting with all fingers together, the middle and ring fingers are spread apart, forming a “V.” Fans of Star Trek and sci‑fi enthusiasts alike use it as a friendly greeting.
Leonard Nimoy first performed the salute in 1967 while portraying Mr. Spock. Within the series, the gesture signified “live long and prosper” among the Vulcan people. Nimoy devised it to give the alien race a distinctive greeting.
Inspired by a Jewish ritual, Nimoy borrowed the hand shape that represents the Hebrew letter shin, the first character in the word “Lord.” Jewish priests employ the same hand formation to bless congregants, a visual cue Nimoy observed in his youth.