Gestures
I love all the gestures. Especially those nameless gestures we use all the time. Like the gentle mouth-closed chin nod to an office mate you’ve walked by for the fifth time in a day. Or the flimsy smile and inch-wide wave you offer when someone hastily introduces you in a group. Even while driving, there’s the reflexive rise of two fingers from the steering wheel when two cars pass on a rural road.
My head is full of gestures thanks to my friend Anthony Ferraro who recently released an album of the same name. Tony’s gestures are numbered, not named, and deeply beautiful.
Gestures
Cowards
As an aside, the titles on Spotify look different because their engineers couldn’t stomach track numbers in a song title. As a UX writer, I am too familiar with dysfunctional naming compromises because “databases.” My sympathies always lie with the artist.
But I digress. These are my gestures, also not named, expressed to the best of my abilities.
| What it is | What it says |
|---|---|
| One finger point | It’s over there |
| Four finger point | Your nearest exit may be behind you |
| Four finger point downward | Why don’t you have a seat right there |
| Shallow shrug and exhale | I don’t know, man |
| Deep shrug and inhale | I’ve asked that same question and I don’t like the answer |
| Palm against invisible wall | Hol up |
| Arm out, palm down | It was yea high |
| Arm out, palm up, shaking head | I mean, just look at it |
| Doff of the cap | M’lady |
| Single finger near face | I have a thought on this |
| Single finger raised above head | I’d like to say something |
| Single finger moving forward slowly | Let me stop you right there |
| Single finger, arm fully outstretched | Prepare to be mansplained |
| Prayer hands on lips | I need to stop reading the news |
| Fingers on temples with wince | He said what? |
| Two palms up with mouth twist | I really don’t know, either sounds to me |
| Two palms up with eye roll | I don’t care, just choose something |
| The tentative fork with cocked head | Can I have a bite of that? |
| Palm slap on the table, look around | Should we… get the check? |
| Outstretched arm, cupped fingers wagging | Let me see that |
| Double palms waving in | Get ova here |
| Single palm, flapped down | Get outta here |
| Slow silent grimace | That must have hurt |
| Double hand fan with shaking head | No, no thank you, I hate karaoke |
| Forehead to pit of elbow | This is a dab, son |
| Forearm up, two fingers split | Peace |