We all know that it’s a good idea to learn a few words of the language when traveling internationally — but have you made it a point to get familiar with the body language of your destination? If you haven’t, you probably should — and lucky you, we’ve got just the thing to help out.
The travel gurus at Cheap Flights have put together a global guide to hand gestures in the form of a handy-dandy infographic — and boy, is it an eye-opener. I’m fairly well traveled, but I actually learned a ton from it that will hopefully stand me in good stead the next time I hit the road. For example, did you know that the crooked finger that means “come here” in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia is a highly offensive gesture in the Philippines? I didn’t, but I do now! Or how about that horned finger gesture that generally means “rock on” to Americans? Did you know that in Italy, Brazil, Colombia, Portugal, and Spain, it’s a sign for, “dude, your wife is cheating on you”? Me neither.
Thanks for looking out for us all, Cheap Flights — there’s nothing more embarrassing than unknowingly committing a huge social gaffe when traveling. As they say: When in Rome!
<img alt="Infographic The Global Guide to Hand Gestures" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/7f/be/73/7fbe73194cedeef3ff1d7ae2127782fe.jpg" class="article-body-image" title="Image: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/7f/be/73/7fbe73194cedeef3ff1d7ae2127782fe.jpg"/>
Images: Cheap Flights
