When you learn nonverbal gestures while traveling, communication becomes easier. However, if you don’t understand the meaning of some European gestures, they can be your worst language barriers when you travel.
My pal over at www.glassdawg.net once told me his backpack travel story to Europe, and it was hilariously funny. He did share some pointers and that’s what I plan to share with you today. Here are common gestures that you should understand their meanings when you travel to Europe.
Fingertips Kiss
This gesture entails bringing together the thumb and fingers of the right hand, raising lips and kissing lightly and eventually tossing the thumb and fingers into the air joyfully. This gesture is very common in European countries like France, Italy, Greece, Germany and Spain. It signals praise but it can also mean delicious, wonderful, divine, or sexy. However, you should be careful to avoid looking silly by overemphasizing this subtle gesture.
Hand Shake
This gesture entails shaking following by sucking in. Do it like you burned yourself. The gesture implies expensive.
Hand Purse
A hand purse gesture entails straightening the thumb and fingers of your hand and bringing them together to make an upward point in front of the face. Move your hand up and down a little at the wrist or hold it still. This is an Italian gesture for asking a question. It is used to ask a person what they want, what they are doing, or what’s new? In France, this gesture implies fear while in Spain it means “a lot”. In Turkey and Germany, a hand purse gesture means “good”,
Eyelid Pull
This gesture entails extending the forefinger below the eye center and pulling the skin downward. This gesture means “I’m alert” in Greece and France. It is used as a friendlier warning in Spain and Italy.
Cheek Screw
Stick out the index finger while making a fist and screw it in the chick without piercing your skin. This gesture is almost exclusive to and widely used in Italy. It means lovely, good, or beautiful. It can also mean cleaver. However, you should be careful with this gesture because it can be used to mean a man is effeminate in Southern Spain.
If you intend to travel to Europe, understand the meanings of these gestures and use them wisely. This will help you avoid language barrier that may be occasioned by your misunderstanding or little knowledge of the meanings of these and other gestures. …