Country X Gestures

[ifignow]

As of the 1980s, it was considered very rude in Japan to say that a pregnant
woman is "pregnant"; instead, people made elaborate gestures with their arms
to show that the woman is pregnant. If you were puzzled and imitated their
strange gestures, then they assumed you understood what they meant. Later,
when you asked if they meant the woman is pregnant, they would get very
angry.

Is this still true?

Are there other gestures or expressions that make Japanese very angry? There
are stories of American nurses who made Muslim patients very angry because
the nurse found the patient on the floor, so helped him up (he was in
prayer).

[Declan Murphy]

ifignow wrote:

<snip>

So when do we get to read the article you were going to write for your
school newspaper? Are these posts part of the "research"?

--
I am not who I think I am
I am not who you think I am
I am who I think you think I am

...or some such shite.

[Fabian]

ifignow hu kiteb:

> Are there other gestures or expressions that make Japanese very
> angry?

I heard that the Japanese tend to get very angry if you pick their nose.

--
--
Fabian
Visit my website often and for long periods!
http://www.lajzar.co.uk

[Bryce]

"ifignow" <ifi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4KjTb.45370$6O4.1...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

I thnk they get angry when you ask the fat ones if they are pregnant and it
turns out they aren't.

[Marc]

"ifignow" <ifi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4KjTb.45370$6O4.1...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

> As of the 1980s, it was considered very rude in Japan to say that a
pregnant
> woman is "pregnant"; instead, people made elaborate gestures with their
arms
> to show that the woman is pregnant. If you were puzzled and imitated their
> strange gestures, then they assumed you understood what they meant. Later,
> when you asked if they meant the woman is pregnant, they would get very
> angry.
>
> Is this still true?

I don't think it was true even in the 1980s.

Looking at someone and pulling down your lower eyelid was a peculiarly
Japanese gesture that was designed to get someone mad, although mostly only
kids use it.

The fist with the little pinky stuck up in the air, presented in a sly but
knowing manner.... not necessarily rude, but commonly used to refer to
someone's "main squeeze", and so not to be mentioned out loud. No words are
to accompany it, except perhaps a vague "kore" -- as if it was a little
secret that can be conveyed only by discreet hand signs.

I used to know several obscure hand things that were unique to Japan and all
vaguely obscene, but somehow they didn't make enough of an impression to
stick in my memory.