WHATZIT MEAN????

 

The other morning, TLW (The Little Woman) opened up a newspaper and asked me what a certain sign meant. She had seen it all too often when young people especially used it while taking a picture. Usually it is posed with some other kid or kids and it seems to mean something.

The hand sign I speak of is the thumb raised up, and the index and middle finger sticking out and spread apart. Now I know the middle finger by itself means something, and it has come a long way since it was first used in anger, but supporting the other two fingers I mentioned gives it a supporting role in the communication.

There is also another sign that came out of the ghetto or black culture and rap music where the index and pinky are raised and the other fingers bent under the thumb. I don’t know what that means and I see it used in photos too.

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IT ALL MEANS?

Maybe I am out of touch, in fact I’ll admit it, I’m out of touch, I can’t drive and text because I’m afraid too, I pull over when I drive to answer my cell phone on the road, and I don’t go around all day looking at electronic gadgets when I should be paying attention. I have the bad habit of looking directly at people when they speak to me and the ones my age have the same habits.

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IT ALL MEANS?

Then there are the symbols and abbreviations we include on the social network, and in texting. You’ve seen them and probably use one or two yourself. For instance a lot of “LOL” which I find hard to wrap my brain around in acceptance, there is the heart symbols and the sad and happy faces. And while on the subject crankiness, how about the fact that we are getting away from teaching penmanship in the schools, and probably spelling is not far behind from elimination!

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IT ALL MEANS?

The Italian immigrants to this country in the last century used their hands a lot to express themselves and enhance their words in Italian or broken English, and you could pantomime an Italian using those hand expressions and everyone knew what you were doing, so they were communicating well. As for me, to save time and trouble, I’m going to the Comedy Club and this is how I will look.