Hand Jive

Here in Zambia they’ve developed an informal sign language for common topics. The most universal requires your palm to be up, fingers just relaxed so they’re bent up, and your hand shaking horizontally like you’re feeding ducks. This is used by vehicles to tell you there’s no room when hitchhiking. I use this to accompany an expression to explain if I don’t have something/money, if I’m unsure of anything, or if an event never happened.

This next signal is especially useful in cities. Take your index finger and point it towards the ground, then move your finger/hand in a circular motion as if you’re stirring a can of paint with your finger. Vehiles tell hitchers that they’re just staying in the immediate area, so that’s why they’re not stopping. It’s a nice move to use for pedestrians. Taxis all park in the same area, so you get hounded by 5 different drivers at a time. Half the time I don’t even want a cab. If I’m in the middle of making an insightful remark and this happens, I can just make the finger-circle motion to say, “Sorry guys, we’re just staying in the area. Thanks ever so much for the offer though.” It’s so much nicer than ignoring them.

A few other favorites: universal thumb rubbing middle and index fingers for money, if someone’s hands are dirty from the fields or whatever they offer a closed-fist handshake so you just shake their writs, if you see someone across a group of people, instead of waving, you clap your hands together at about head level and nod your heads at each other.