IV

SEMANTIC FIELDS OF THE
GESTURAL SIGN

What subjects lend themselves to gestural expression? What first comes to mind is all that involves designation and concrete localization, i.e., deictics. Our vision of space derives from the position of our body in space and is linked with our bodily experience. In fact, we situate ourselves in time in the same way we do in space, both verbally (Cassirer 1955) and gesturally (Calbris 1985a).

A child communicates physically and vocally with those around him before he is able to do so verbally. His nonverbal communication has an elementary content, and this primitive expression of mood continues into adulthood, accompanied by verbal expression. However, it gradually becomes more abstract in form and substance. Sketchy and stylized, it has as referents several signifieds which are abstract derivatives of the original signifieds. I will discuss as an example the gestural expressions related to aggressiveness.

The primitive, childish, essential feelings of well-being and discomfort seem originally to be judgmental pairs: yes-no, agreeable-disagreeable, good-bad, right-wrong, beautiful-ugly, true-false, progressing toward abstraction. The judgment applies to an object in a broad sense, an event, an idea, a person, or a verbal or nonverbal act. But the object must be assumed to exist! We will distinguish three parameters: the evaluation of existence (certainty-doubt-disbelief), the evaluation of quality (perfection-mediocrity-nothingness), and finally the evaluation of interaction (agreement-disagreement). With regard to the quality of behavior to which a moral value is attached, we find, at least among the French, that the gestural references to positive qualities are few, while indications of faults are numerous. There are more than thirty of the latter, almost all of which illustrate figurative expressions; they will not be dealt with here (see Calbris and Montredon 1986).

Time

The spatial expression of time is overwhelmingly evident on the verbal level. The notions of length or duration, path, interruption, localization, point of departure, point of arrival, limit, interval, distance, sequel or prolongation, posteriority or anteriority are expressed identically in space and in time. The same prepositions, verbs, and adverbs are used indifferently in both domains (Table 20).

In addition to spatialization there is the notion of objectivizing, both of which are evident in this sentence: ‘In quick succession, in the space of fifteen days, two films starring Jane Birkin . . .’ (Figaro TV, March 25, 1981). Time, assimilated with space (en l’espace de—in the space of), is cut into individual units like objects (15 days). Our mental universe is an imaginary space replicating our conception of a physical world of material objects in spatial relation, and most of our concepts are physical metaphors (Whorf 1956: 155; Lakoff 1980) made explicit by a gesture:

Whorf’s comparison of S.A.E. (Standard Average European) languages with the Hopi language brings out the interconnectedness of the linguistic, gestural, and cognitive aspects of a culture, and hence the relativity of our conception of the physical and mental world. While French tends to objectivize and spatialize, Hopi analyzes ‘reality largely in terms of EVENTS (or better, “eventing”), referred to in two ways, objective and subjective’ (Whorf 1956: 147).

Our identical expression of space and time is particularly revealing of the metaphorical process mentioned. But how does one gesturally render the different temporal notions? What are the major dichotomies and nuances established, and the possibilities of substitution? The gestural transposition of the relationships between notions is subtle. An arbitrary moment will be localized differently from the present moment, and the expression of duration will not be reducible to the sole expression of a distance measured.

Table 20. Verbal-spatial expression of time

Localization

Localization with Respect to the Present: Future, Past, and Present (Figure 8)

FUTURE.In European cultures, the future is in the direction of walking or writing, that is forward or to the right. It may be situated either by a movement of the chin lifted forward to designate a date in the future (Ah Roland, * I’m supposed to see him Tuesday or Wednesday) or by a forward leap of the hand or forefinger (Two-and-a-half million unemployed * very soon). This jump or movement of transfer is clearly appropriate for expressing a postponement (We can’t put if off *^a until next week).

PAST.The thumb and/or head turned over the shoulder (Illustration 4) situates the recent past directly behind the speaker (* There in the interview I did this morning), while the hand and/or the head raised high and backwards (Illustration 5) situates the distant past far behind the speaker (* Years ago). In the first case the movement is small and quick; in the second it is ample and slow. We note an analogical association of height with distance in time, like the one found by Morris in certain tribal societies, where distance is given by the angle that the forefinger makes with the ground:

Figure 8 - Gestural localization of time with respect to the present moment.

Illustration 4. Recent past. Illustration by Zaü for Calbris and Montredon 1986: 140, by permission of CLE International

The same analogical principle is found transposed into time: the thumb horizontal for the recent past, the hand raised high backward for the distant past.

Illustration 5. Distant past. Illustration by Zaü for Calbris and Montredon 1986: 140, by permission of CLE International

PRESENT.In contrast with the future and the past, and hence neither forward nor backward, the present is at the feet of the speaker and is indicated by a downward movement of either the head, the forefinger, or one or two hands. Here are examples of each of these cases: No, no, * this morning.—Decisions * right away.—The means have never been excessive, **for the time being.

Our mode of temporal localization is cultural. In certain African cultures, the future is associated with posterity and hence is mentally situated behind oneself (Calame-Griaule 1987:203).

Localization with respect to a given moment: posteriority, anteriority

An event in the future (i.e., posterior) with respect to a given moment is represented by a ‘forward’ leap, toward either the front or the right (* Three days later, he had come back). Inversely, an anterior event is illustrated by a backward leap, toward oneself from the front (I had told you * the year before) or from the right (Provided that you do a very good summary * of the preceding chapters). Figure 9 depicts the possibility of transferring the movement from the sagittal to the frontal plane. Indeed, the head can situate posteriority to the right and anteriority to the left. The advantage of this axis is that it allows a dual reference to anteriority and posteriority within the same statement, expressed respectively by a leftward *¹ or rightward *^r movement of either the hand (The epidemic either *¹preceded or *^r followed . . .) or the head (*¹ Before or *^r after the second round in the elections).

REPETITION. The illustration of this notion presents an interesting case. The idea of starting again is accompanied by a hop of the forefinger or the hand either forward into the future, alluding to the second time (So that it * can be reworked afterward), or backward into the past, to start from zero (It’s from that angle * that I wanted to reconsider the preceding question). The circle is a way of returning to the starting point without going backward, in order to continue once again (Even if we think that the product * will need revision). Several loops depict a regularly reiterated phenomenon (* Twice, three times, several times.—Like me, * every day). Perpetuity is usually evoked by turning the hands one around the other (Which is why she * endlessly manipulates . . .).

Figure 9 - Gestural localization of time with respect to a given moment.

Duration

MEASURE OF TIME. A span of time to be measured is likened to a distance covered from left to right: [right hand placed on the left] From the 17th [hand moved to the right] to the 25th, for one week, we will be at the Tête d’Or Theater. Or else to a distance marked off by parallel limits given by (1) the two hands wide apart in the case of a long time interval (The inheritance tax will be paid * over ten years.—It’s not a question of working * so many hours), or (2) the thumb and forefinger for a brief period (I know what the pilot was able to tell me * in forty seconds).

A time limit is depicted as a barrier against which one runs up, by the palm of the hand whose edge slides forward a certain distance. The long term is not illustrated by a longer distance, farther in front of oneself, but by a slower movement.

The representation of a segmented succession is similar to slicing. This gesture was used by a professor to concretize a forgotten word: What do you call those publications printed * as they go along . . . ? Someone prompts: Serial!

COURSE OF TIME. One is tempted to suppose that it is because the sun rises in the east, sets in the west, reappears in the east, etc., that any sequence or succession in time is likened to a circular movement. The course of time, its unfolding, the cycle of seasons, the repetition of events, and the succession of events are represented by one or more vertical loops moving forward in a progressive unraveling: No paid programs * for retraining (Fr. se recycler).—But we thought the idea * had run its course.

Looking more closely, one finds that the notions of transformation, alternating succession or chain of events are often depicted by repeating a given circle, with the hands turning one around the other: I mean that mechanization * has changed human relationships.—It was transformed * into a different post.—That forces * a rotation within the company.—When you’re * caught up in something, you’ve got to keep progressing. The idea of change or transformation implies the replacement of one element by another which partly resembles the first and is partly different from it. Similarly, there is substitution or replacement in an alternating succession of turns or shifts. Finally, there is interlocking, the interconnection of elements in a mechanistic chain. These notions of substitution, replacement, and interlocking suppose two elements, hence the use of both hands.

The desire to start again, the search for the origin, lead us to work backward in time. Backward unraveling is depicted by one hand which draws one or more backward loops. A loop drawn counterclockwise brings us back to the beginning, to the origin: . . . and since there is a constant rebirth [inward sagittal circle repeated on itself] of faith within the Church. Here, rebirth is depicted by the movement back toward oneself, and constant renewal by the repeated circle. While the notion of anteriority is rendered by a single leap backward, distant anteriority is depicted by a curve extended backward in the form of vertical loops corresponding to the unfolding of time: . . . who * already had access to culture. The same gesture applies to provenance, the time which has passed between the present moment and the moment of origin: You know that legitimate defense organizations * were born out of an instinct for personal vengeance.—I think it might be necessary * to go back further in order to understand.

Table 21 gives a synthesis of gestural depictions of duration. The figure is based on the original dichotomy: a curved representation for the flow of time, and a straight line to measure it. Continuity is illustrated with the same gestural distinction according as the process in question is perceived as evolutive and changing or felt to be stagnant, simply a prolongation of state. Finally, the same contrast distinguishes a succession of elements that alternate in turn or are linked by a chain of events from an intermittent succession of segments (Chapter 3, Opposition of / to )).

This cultural assimilation of space and time seems to occur on all levels, and is found in our social use of these notions. Hall (1966: 173) distinguishes monochronic, noncontact cultures from polychronic, contact ones. He observes the same use of space and time, centralized and synthetic among the first, segmented and analytical among the second. For example, a speaker from a Mediterranean culture tends to place himself very close to his partner, whom he touches, looks at, even smells; he may perform several activities simultaneously (polychronicity). In contrast, an American, for whom the urban and domestic use of space is different, and who tends to keep a greater physical distance from others, tends to fix a time and specify a place for a given action (monochronicity).

Table 21. Duration.

Aggressiveness

Aggressiveness can take several forms—including sexual ones—depending on its object. It is generally directed outward, but can sometimes be turned on oneself.

Cluster of signifieds

The fist, a natural weapon, strikes the air: shaken, it is a threat; raised, a call to the fight; jabbed out at waist-level, it accompanies vengeful repartee, a cutting remark; mime-boxing is a playful way to indicate an aggressive reaction to someone; lastly, striking the table with one’s fist aims to intimidate someone, to stop him before one reacts violently.

By a role reversal, our own hand may represent the adversary, a person against whom, or fate against which, we rebel. Punching a palm, very common in comic strips, depicts among other things an anticipated fight. The listener is to understand that one has just made a manly decision, that one is ready to fight: * We’ve got to find the thieves.—* We must immediately free these poor people. More abstractly, the air punch is polyvalent according as it is implicitly aimed at someone or at an abstraction, such as the word that escapes one’s memory.

The fist is also a symbol of strength and hardness. Thus it serves to test the resistance of a hard head, strong-willed or imbecilic. With redoubled blows, it tests the chest and becomes a sign of physical superiority. The stance of bravado, fists on hips, probably has the same meaning. Finally, the fist can substitute for the adjectival phrase de fer (of iron). A whole network of signifieds is thus covered, according as the strength in question is intended to be used (combative strength), to be held up in the face of an aggressor (resistance), or to restrain a rebel (authority). Consider combative force, which implies going into action. It can be signified by striking the fist against a palm, on a table, or into the air, or simply by clenching the fist(s). Does each of these modes have a specific meaning? Here is what we find: punching the palm is most appropriate for an abrupt decision, banging on a table is a sign of exasperation and a desire to act, the air punch expresses a reaction of aggressive energy, and clenching the fists indicates the will to remain steadfast in action.

The sexual act is interpreted as an aggression by children (Freud 1942: 95–97) and in language (Lakoff and Johnson 1980: 108). One French slang term for it, tirer un coup (lit. to fire a shot), assimilates the penis with an arrow, rifle, or machine-gun. Here is an example: the cover of Lui magazine (July 1982) showed a woman in a G-string on which hung a pencil and a test entitled Est-elle un bon coup? Punching the palm from underneath is a gestural illustration of ‘screwing’ someone, in particular from behind: l’avoir dans le cul (lit. to get it in the ass), l’avoir dans l’os (to get it in the bone, i.e., the sacrum), l’avoir dans le dos (to get it in the back). By a role reversal, the gesture evokes either the attitude of the aggressor or of the victim, i.e., deceiving someone, or being deceived by him. Failure symbolized in this way is not necessarily caused by someone. It may be an event or a personal error. For example, an electrician explains to a friend: But if you put the circuits in parallel, * ( = you’re fucked!).

Another sign of sexual aggression, the punch straight out from the stomach, evokes vengeful repartee: * Bien envoyé * et vlan! (lit. well sent + onomatopoeia, e.g., wham!)—They are so used to seeing the weaknesses of others that they forget their own, * et tac, they get beaten. At first sight, the gesture seems to illustrate a punch in the adversary’s stomach, i.e., the punch back. But the verbal expression Dans le baba! to which it is often associated, reveals its true motivation. It is yet another representation of sexual aggression, since baba signifies here the female sex organ. This sexual aggression, more natural than from behind, evokes frank vengeance, while the underhand palm punch is synonymous with deceit.

But one can also ‘be had’ by an abstraction: insufficient time, incorrect planning, or an unexpected event. The blow of bad luck is depicted in various ways, e.g., the above gestures of sexual aggression or la tuile (lit. the roofing tile) and la gifle (the slap). For a catastrophe, the hand falls flatly on the top of the head. For a slap in the face by bad luck, the hand strikes the cheek and stays on it.

Punishment or self-punishment? One can make an act of contrition, even ironically, by striking the chest three times with the fist: * Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Upon forgetting something, making a blunder, or failing at something, one strikes the forehead, mouth, cheek, or thigh. When the blow does not specify the source of error by the area hit, the palm is used to represent the entire body of the subject punishing himself. Several variants exist. The palm may be struck by the fist, palm, or back of the opposite hand. This last variant might recall a slap. Finally, it seems that instead of using both hands, one of which represents the body, the same thing can be depicted with one hand, abruptly shaken up and down at the moment one becomes aware of one’s error. This gesture is analogous to snapping one’s fingers—*Oh zut!—which gives us eight variants, more or less specific and marked, for self-punishment.

Network of expressions

The gestures which allude to a blow in one way or another are: the hand closed in a fist, the palm hitting some part of the body, clapping once with the hands, snapping the fingers, and even the head when it depicts a blow with the head against something or someone. We thus observe a set of mutual aggressions. The blow is aimed at an object, at oneself, at someone else, or at an abstraction; in each case, it can be made by oneself, someone else, or an abstraction. Thus we have striking (see Table 22):

(1) Against something. With a forward jerk of the head, one mimes the head banging against a window for example. A collision is depicted by a single clap. Finally, knocking on the forehead with the fist seems to test its hardness, its lack of flexibility, indicating a simpleton or a stubborn person. Pounding on one’s chest with alternating fists tests the strength of the thorax and hence depicts the physical superiority of a King Kong.

(2) Against oneself.—By oneself: see the eight variants of self-punishment indicated above.—By someone else: someone who deceived or ‘had’ you (underhand punch against the palm) or who knows how to react (fist out from the stomach).—By an abstraction: one that played a trick on you and fooled you (fist against palm).

(3) Against someone else.—By oneself: Punching the palm from underneath depicts revenge by deceit. Punching the air, perpendicular to the stomach is a sign of vengeful repartee. Brandishing a fist in front of oneself is a threat to someone or a call to combative action. Pounding on a table is a gesture of angry intimidation. Punching the palm from above indicates the decision to fight. Clenching an immobile fist shows resistance to oppression.—By someone else: Here again, we find vengeful repartee and deceit, while head-to-head fists depict the conflict between two individuals.—By bad luck which ‘screws’ and causes failure, or else slaps or destroys the individual.

(4) Against an abstraction.—By oneself or someone else: Hitting the palm from above, or punching the air, depicts a combative decision, a call to struggle, and determination. Sent perpendicular to the stomach, the blow also represents a courageous, dynamic person, someone who has ‘punch’ (* She had punch.—That gave me strength * to react). Pounding the air shows aggressiveness against something that escapes one, for example a name that one can’t recall (What’s his name *, he looks like X.—* I don’t remember the name of that pilot).—By an abstraction: The two fists head-to-head can represent a conflict not only between two people, but also between two ideas: In fact that’s why * there is a tough conflict between the two cultures.

Table 22. Semantics of striking

Judgment

Judgment or appraisal is expressed gesturally in different ways according as it concerns the existence of something, the quality of something, or the relationship between people. The gradation of diverse attitudes will be considered from positive to negative.

Certainty—Doubt—Disbelief

There are four gestures for certainty: two with the hand, and two with the head. They cover two different motivations, each of which can be expressed by one hand movement or one head movement (Illustration 6).

• First motivation: implied double negative. The utterance I’m sure of it is supplemented by a gesture synonymous with No doubt, either the palm raised outward: * Absolutely sure; or a shaking of the head: * ( = no doubt) But it is certain that I was influenced by him.

• Second motivation. The two other gestures express the fact that what is certain cannot but take place. A continuous line illustrates the idea of temporal and logical consequence linked with the notion of certainty. This line can be drawn by a transverse movement of the palm, held parallel to the ground: * It’s a sure thing.—** I’m sure I haven’t made a mistake, unfortunately. Less often, the line is drawn by a transverse movement of the chin: * If I tell you it’s good, believe me, that means it’s * really good.

Illustration 6. Certainty: (1) Implied double negative and (2) Logical consequence. Illustrations by Zaü for Calbris and Montredon 1986: 123, by permission of CLE International

Doubt is shown by three lip expressions. (1) Pressing the lips together and lowering the corners. This lip gesture of appraisal, accompanied by a probably interrogatory raising of the chin and eyebrow(s) * is a sign of scepticism, e.g., concerning the resolution of a problem: . . . , Tourist Dupont (John Q. Public) vs. The Ministry of Finance, * he’ll have a hard time winning. (2) Slowly lifting the head, with the puckered lips sucking in air, and with raised eyebrows, expresses prudent scepticism: * That remains to be seen; it’s not signed yet. (3) The best known expression of doubt is characterized by a moue, or pushing out of the lips, and wrinkled eyebrows: * What’s this you’re telling me? All three facial expressions can substitute for speech.

Disbelief seems to be shown primarily in casual contexts and in an amused manner. The cliché Mon oeil! (My eye!), which means ‘I don’t believe you, you’re lying,’ is illustrated by or replaced by the forefinger pulling down on the lower eyelid. This is the best-known emblem. Sometimes, one might say *Woah, I must be dreaming! A child wonders if he can believe his eyes, rubbing them with his fists, while an adult would stick his head forward and open his eyes wide (several times in a row), acting surprised in a playful or indignant manner, depending on the situation. Another variant of disbelief, showing suspicion that the listener is exaggerating, is to abruptly tilt one’s head to the side, but in an amused manner: * Hey, you’re exaggerating!

Positive—Mediocre—Negative qualities

The expression of quality is rich in variations of form and meaning. On the positive end, three signifieds stand out:

PERFECTION.The French dictionary Le Robert gives as definitions of the verb parfaire (to perfect) ‘to make complete, finish’; for the adjective parfait ‘at the top of the scale of values, that which exactly and strictly fits a given concept’; for the adverb parfaitement ‘in a perfect manner, absolutely, completely, entirely.’ We find in these definitions veiled images of the maximum level (equivalents for parfait: total, complete). Some of the equivalents have negative prefixes (parfait: impeccable, irreproachable, incomparable). It should also be noted that the adjective parfait used in the sense of ‘strict’ or ‘exact’ implies precision and meticulousness.

As though they referred to the etymology of the word, all the various associated gestures confirm that the notion of perfection implies three postulates:

• Perfection cannot be surpassed. The maximum level is illustrated by a transverse movement of the hand held flat with the palm downward and the fingers joined: His talent is * insane. Another reference to totality and to its judgmental derivative, perfection, is the transverse movement of the chin as though one were sweeping the horizon with one’s gaze: And some of them * are remarkable surgeons. Repeated from one side to the other, this lateral movement becomes a shaking of the head: * A very good welcome, very kind.

• Perfection implies precision. The circle, symbol of perfection (Chapter 3, Visual symbolism of the circle), is formed by the thumb and forefinger which, joined at their tips in a vertical ring, seem to be squeezing something very thin: * Au quart de poil (lit. to the quarter of a hair = extremely well, with precision)—** Now that, that’s perfection.

• Perfection is flawless. It has no negative element. This implied double negative is expressed by two gestural variants of negation: raising the hand with the palm outward (That movie? * Remarkable!) or laterally shaking the head (* He was very kind).

EXCELLENCE-SUPERIORITY.Some corresponding French expressions are Super, Comme ça, Extra, Champion, Sensass, Chapeau, Du tonnerre. The thumb sticks up, with the hand abruptly frozen at chest level *. A tilt of the head in a sign of admiration (see below) and a click of the tongue sometimes accompany this gesture: My grapes, * extra!—* Super, the pool!—She makes a bourguignon, *comme ça, a coq au vin, comme ça! Understood by everyone, it is often used in publicity: For all my dishes, Paic Citron, * Brillantissime! We find it everywhere, even on French T-shirts where Snoopy, thumb up, exclaims: C’est chié!

ADMIRATION. Wonder is expressed by a panoramic movement of the hand in a frontal plane, as if tracing a rainbow: . . . for which ** I have immense admiration.—There are pictures, things ** really superb.—A program that is brilliant in fact, * that he wrote with a lot of panache.

Or else one bows before the object of admiration. The tipping of the head * is often accompanied by an expression of oral appraisal. As though to taste something, the lips are pressed together with the corners turned down: Well I must say, * they’ve made progress in surgery. Another example: faced with the list of an actor’s prestigious partners, an actress performs the same mouth expression and repeatedly nods her head. One may note that the lip movement is the same for scepticism and admiration. The nod lifts the ambiguity concerning the possible negative character of the facial expression.

The French expressions of admirative homage, chapeau bas, tirer son chapeau, and coup de chapeau (‘Hats off’), are illustrated by lifting off an imaginary hat. An ethnologist talking about pygmies: * And I take my hat off to them; to live in the forest, you have to be a superior man.

Du nanan! A croquer! The gesture which illustrates these expressions of devouring (both gourmandizing and erotic) also indicates delight: the fingers are pursed next to the lips, sometimes actually kissed, and then separated and projected forward. An actress talks thus of her work on the stage, once the stage fright has passed: But when it’s over, * marvelous! A woman comments on an exotic cocktail recipe: * It’s fantastic.

Renown is expressed by one or two hands raised high in profile, with a smiling face and the head often tipped backward to better exclaim. An old man vaunts * the famous Raz Point.—He was the son ** of the famous Virginia.—She was * pretty, my dear woman.

Thus, to admire is to describe the beauty (rainbow) or greatness (raised hands and head) of that before which one bows or that which one wishes to gobble up.

The end of a performance, a particular situation, is generally hailed by more or less ardent and prolonged applause. To increase the praise, which is measured by the sound level, an enthusiastic crowd pounds the floor in time while continuing to applaud.

Mediocrity is generally signified by (1) a gesture of approximation in which the hand, with spread fingers, oscillates by a rotary movement of the wrist: Did you like it? * More or less, so-so. It can also be indicated by (2) the pursed-lips expression of doubt already mentioned: Doing all right? Mm, * yeah. (3) A sign of questioning concerning the value to be accorded to something, with the eyebrows moderately raised: * We’ll have to see. This euphemistic expression can be somewhat haughty. (4) Shrugging the shoulders to indicate the meager value attributed to the object in question. It is judged ordinary: Did you think that was good? Good enough, * nothing special. (5) Acting blasé, which suggests disgust, weariness, and indifference together. Lowering the jaw and contracting the chin muscle pull the corners of the mouth downward *. Often, the eyebrows are raised while the eyelids are lowered, as if weariness prevented their being opened: * Bof, nothing exciting.—He’s not, * he’s not a great actor.

Negative judgment is also very diversified. However, it seems to come down essentially to a depiction of emptiness by a projection of air or an illustration of negative verbal expressions. It is given by: (1) Noisily sticking out the lower lip: * Ppp, that doesn’t get very far. (2) More or less noisily deflating one or both cheeks *, sometimes accompanied by a sigh of fatigue: Are you kidding, * nothing but hot air, not worth a thing. (3) Slightly pursing the lips and blowing out through the nose *, with the eyebrows raised and eyelids lowered: *Pff, insignificant. (4) Wrinkling the nose ( = that smells bad): * I don’t like that. (5) Raising the eyes (and hand) toward the sky, as if to call it to witness. More typical and more marked, this expression implies: Ah Lord, don’t tell me! (6) Often tied to this eye expression and to a smirk, the lateral shaking of the head * substitutes for a negative utterance, ‘Isn’t that unfortunate,’ ‘Unbelievable.’ (7) Finally, the particular case of the zero grade: the number 0 is formed with the thumb and forefinger—or with the thumb and middle finger—joined in a vertical ring. Confusion with the gesture of perfection is avoided essentially by the negative facial expression.

Agreement—Disagreement

Agreement on some point of discourse is shown by abruptly moving the upward-facing hand, fingers joined, or the forefinger toward the speaker to show or point out the element approved. A woman confirms an opinion about a third person: * That’s it, that’s what’s blocking her. Confirmation is generally indicated by tipping the head forward or, more discreetly, by simply lowering the eyelids, both of which signs are derived from attitudes of submission (Chapter 3, Specificity of the head). As for verbal expressions of approbation, ‘entirely,’ ‘absolutely,’ since they refer to the notion of totality, they are generally accompanied by a lateral shaking or transverse movement of the head. Agreement by capitulation, an amusing case, involves raising the palm(s) outward, a way of giving in to the argument of the speaker: Fine ** O.K. Two partners in a transaction come to an agreement; the handshake seals the contract between two businessmen, for example, while a deal between two people at a French country fair or between two buddies will be set by a Tope là, one person slapping the outstretched palm of the other.

Disagreement may concern an idea put forth, an offer made or a service requested by the speaker. In the first case, the palm is raised outward: * That is out of the question.—Oh * forget about calm, at night, they’ve got lots of noise. The forefinger can substitute for the hand: Ah, excuse me, * that’s not what it was. Finally, pulling the head back is another sign of objection: * What? Yes, it is!

Declining an offer by raising the palm outward is equivalent to ‘No thank you’, and is more polite if it is accompanied by a smile and a lateral cock of the head. The refusal of a cigarette or refusal of responsibility are shown similarly, with the palm forward. There is however a nuance that indicates whether the reason for the refusal is self-protecting prudence or disinterest. In the first case, the speaker simply raises his palms *, often leaning back: That’s all I’m saying, * that’s it ( = don’t put words in my mouth). In the second, illustrating a cliché referring to Pontius Pilate, he pretends to wash his hands * and then raises them outward: . . . while Mr. Barre started by saying: * I wash my hands of it. The refusal can be modulated: with a smile, the outward palm will be interpreted as polite refusal; with a sneer, as disgust; with the head thrown backward, as categorical or offended; with a grimace of nausea, eyes closed, eyelids wrinkled, and head turned away, as the strongest mark of disgust (Illustration 7).

The refusal of a request is essentially signified by the accompanying attitude, e.g., offhandedness, vulgarity, or mockery.

In an offhand manner, the speaker seems to throw something behind himself: (1) Over the shoulder. Can you replace him? Oh * I’ve got better things to do.—No, I’ve had it, * I couldn’t care less. (2) Or past the side of the shoulder. This finicky approach, * we’ve had more than enough. The gesture is optionally supplemented by a facial expression of rejection: a moue, a smirk, or a puffed up (and deflated) cheek. This very common sign, performed by children, and by men and women of all ages, accompanies or replaces one of the following expressions: Des nèfles, Tintin, Tu repasseras, Tu peux toujours courir, te gratter, te fouiller, Va te faire foutre.

Illustration 7. Refusal. Illustration by Zaü for Calbris and Montredon 1986: 123, by permission of CLE International

Illustration 8. Le bras d’honneur—Phallic Forearm Jerk. Illustration by Zaü for Calbris and Montredon 1986: 103, by permission of CLE International

A sign of obscene derision, the phallic forearm jerk * (Illustration 8) becomes for some people simply a sign of offhand refusal. Come on, she’s waiting for us at the supermarket. An adolescent answers: * . From an apartment, somebody shouts out at two bums, Hey, you guys shut your mouths. They answer simultaneously with a forearm jerk.

In response to a proposition for a joint project, the gesture corresponding to ‘My eye,’ implying ‘don’t count on my participation,’ becomes mocking refusal. Sticking out one’s tongue is a casual and teasing way to refuse. Sacha Guitry used this gesture in one of his plays (Le mot de Cambronne) toward his English wife, to whom he did not want to reveal a vulgar word.

The various gestures illustrating verbal clichés for privation, such as Que dalle, t’auras rien, pas un sou; Tu peux te serrer la ceinture; Ça te passera sous le nez, which also serve for refusal, have a vindictive edge to them. Further expressions of negation are considered below from the point of view of motivation (Chapter 6, Variants of negation).