The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. RASCOE: For now at least, judging by our Slack messages today, we're keeping it alive - sincerely, though sometimes sarcastically, which is just the way we like it.Ĭopyright © 2022 NPR. HERRING: That's a question for future linguists. However, in several countries in West Africa and the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the gesture has the. So bottom line, is the thumbs-up emoji really dead? Professor Herring says. The thumbs-up gesture is a sign of approval in most countries. What are negative gestures Negative body language is often called defensive body language. In Italy, Greece, Iran, and Iraq, however, this is an insulting gesture. Does my thumbs-up bother you? What about the check mark? Why can't people just use their words? Do you think I'm being passive-aggressive when I just say OK? Not when you say OK, but when you say k, that's aggressive. Where is a thumbs up offensive There are many cultures where a thumbs-up indicates that something is good or well done. I mean, we spent some quality time here at WEEKEND EDITION working through this. But the conversations sparked by those clickbait articles - like how people understand each other - were real. RASCOE: Now, a lot of young people online say they aren't that bothered by the thumbs-up emoji. They're always generating new expressions and new words and new ways of speaking to distinguish themselves in opposition to other groups that are perceived as being out of it or square, as we used to say back in the day. HERRING: It's characteristic of what young people do with language. RASCOE: Emojis are a part of modern language, and they can mean many things to many people all at once. HERRING: I think the battle here is really about the connotations of the emoji, the pragmatic meanings. She's a linguistics professor at Indiana University who specializes in digital communication. So, yeah, laughing to death, right? That's a great example. So now they need something that has a stronger impact, that's more outrageous or more over-the-top. SUSAN HERRING: So it's been bleached of its impact. Like, the skull face and the actually, like, sobbing emoji I feel just have more personality than just, like, haha. It doesn't feel as expressive as other things you can use. RASCOE: His daughter hates the thumbs-up, and she thinks the crying laughing emoji is weak. There's, like - there's an additional layer of kind of, like, sarcasm. It's very, like, straight, the way that I interpret it. And for me, like, the grimacing face just means, like, urgh, something bad is happening. JONAS DOWNEY: We sort of take it for granted thumbs-up means thumbs-up. ![]() Elder millennial Jonas Downey read one of the articles and decided to see if his 13-year-old daughter's interpretation of certain emojis differed from his. We may be victims of clickbait intended to stir up dissension between young and old, left and right, after someone dug up an old Reddit thread and presented it as gospel last week. Buckle up cancel culture has officially come for emojis. If unsure, wait for the person you're being introduced to to make the first move.So you may have heard the thumbs-up emoji is dead, as in not cool - don't do it. ![]() In Buddhist countries, it's an insult to touch the head of any locals (in case you were thinking of doing so!) Gen Z sees the thumbs up emoji as rude or passive aggressive, they say The emoji is commonly used in casual and professional conversation People aged 35 and over are more likely to use the symbol. While it's acceptable to kiss the cheeks of people you're meeting when in Mediterranean countries, when elsewhere you could be getting a bit too close for comfort.Īlso, many countries in the Middle East such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia have forbidden public embraces, and many local woman may not wish to shake hands with a man. ![]() Greeks consider the forward-facing palm to be offensive, so turn your hand so that the palm is towards you (and keep the fingers together) When getting a taxi in Greece, don't raise your hand as you would to signal stop. ![]() Instead, use an open hand to indicate the direction. No matter how freezing it is.Īvoid pointing with your finger when asking for directions, in many countries it's rude. That's because the left hand is reserved for bodily hygiene and is considered unclean, so it's offensive to offer it up when greeting someone.Īnd when in Europe, remember to take your gloves off first. In Muslim countries, do not use your left hand for shaking hands, eating or passing over an item.
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