You find yourself at an outdoor cafe in
Marseille noshing on nicois salad when the garcon asks how our meal is.
You flash him the "OK" sign. He looked puzzled, you keep eating, he storms
off. Faux pas! Now you're sitting there with your mouth full of greens,
feeling like an oaf.
What just happened? Well, our "OK" may be
the best known (non-vulgar) hand gesture in the United States, but in the
south of France it means "worthless" or "zero." Same thing goes for China.
If you were in Germany, the "OK" hand signal is such an insult that you
might end up wearing that salad. In Mexico, it means "sex," and you'll
only get more confusion in Japan, where it means "money" --- because the
circle formed by your thumb and index finger resembles a coin.
Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Tunisia, Russia,
Paraguay, Malta, Singapore, Spain, and Greece are other spots where it's
not a good idea to flash the "OK (usually because it refers to certain
body parts and constitutes an insult). So "OK" is not OK everywhere, OK?
if that's too confusing, just take a tip from the waiter, and leave the
"OK" gesture at home.
- Bret Roedemeier -
(408) 262-2304