Podcast
Questions and Answers
The ______ gesture is often associated with the military.
The ______ gesture is often associated with the military.
salute
The ______ Guards, one of the oldest regiments of the British Army, used helmets in the form of cones.
The ______ Guards, one of the oldest regiments of the British Army, used helmets in the form of cones.
Grenadier
The thumbs-up gesture apparently goes back to ______ times when gladiators fought in front of the emperor and eager crowds in the Colosseum.
The thumbs-up gesture apparently goes back to ______ times when gladiators fought in front of the emperor and eager crowds in the Colosseum.
Roman
The ______ hand gesture is almost universally used as a greeting or celebration.
The ______ hand gesture is almost universally used as a greeting or celebration.
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Many see the origins of the high-five in ______.
Many see the origins of the high-five in ______.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers in ______ or the Louisville Cardinals in 1978 claim to invent the high five.
The Los Angeles Dodgers in ______ or the Louisville Cardinals in 1978 claim to invent the high five.
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The 'low five' gesture involved people slapping each other's lower ______.
The 'low five' gesture involved people slapping each other's lower ______.
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In the Acropolis Museum in Athens, the base of one of the columns shows goddess Hera shaking ______ with Athena.
In the Acropolis Museum in Athens, the base of one of the columns shows goddess Hera shaking ______ with Athena.
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Shaking ______, rather than bowing or curtseying, showed both parties as equals.
Shaking ______, rather than bowing or curtseying, showed both parties as equals.
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The gesture of handshake has not strayed from its original meaning to convey ______, respect and equality.
The gesture of handshake has not strayed from its original meaning to convey ______, respect and equality.
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Study Notes
Hand Gestures
- Hand gestures are often culturally bound and can vary from group to group, but some are very common around the world.
- Four significant gestures to focus on are the salute, the thumbs up, the high five, and the handshake.
The Salute
- The salute may have originated in the 18th century.
- The Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest regiments of the British Army, used helmets with chinstraps, making it difficult to raise the helmet when greeting someone.
- Soldiers instead touched their head with one short movement of the hand before putting it back down again at their side.
The Thumbs Up
- The thumbs-up gesture is believed to have originated in Roman times.
- Gladiators' fates were decided by the audience, who showed approval with a thumbs-up gesture.
- The emperor would confirm the decision, sparing the gladiator's life.
- However, there are no reliable historical references to thumbs going up or down in the Colosseum.
The High Five
- The high-five hand gesture is almost universally used as a greeting or celebration.
- Many attribute its origins to baseball, with two US teams claiming to have invented it in the late 1970s.
- The gesture may have a much earlier origin, similar to the 1920s Jazz Age gesture known as the "low five" or "giving skin".
- The low five involved people slapping each other's lower hands in celebration.
The Handshake
- The handshake dates back as a greeting at least as far as Ancient Greece.
- The Acropolis Museum in Athens features a column base showing goddess Hera shaking hands with Athena, the goddess of wisdom and courage.
- Shaking hands showed both parties as equals, rather than bowing or curtseying.
- The handshake has evolved to have multiple uses, including meeting, greeting, parting, offering congratulations, expressing gratitude, or completing an agreement.
- In sports, it is also done as a sign of good sportsmanship, conveying trust, respect, and equality.
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Description
Explore the cultural significance and history of four common hand gestures: the salute, thumbs up, high five, and handshake. Learn how these gestures have evolved and are perceived differently around the world.
