Job Discussion Forums

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

I usually head off to my school at about 7 AM, and if I have a bag of garbage I drop it off in a small bin near the front gate. This morning as I was dropping off my trash, the security guy started whistling at me and making a weird gesture. He was making a fist, with his pinky finger and his thumb extended in a kind of "devil's horns" style. He kept wiggling his fist in my direction and pointing at a new sign that said "Por favor no tirar basura".

I walked over to him and he made the 'horns' gesture again and told me in Spanish that I had to put my trash in the garbage truck that comes at around 12 noon. I told him that I can never be here then because I am at my job (true), and asked him where to put my garbage. He just kept repeating that I had to wait for the truck at 12, so I kept asking "�Donde?"

He kept doing this devil's horn thing, so finally I did the same with my left fist, pointed at my gesture with my right hand, and said "No se esta". At that point he stopped making the gesture and kind of gave up, gesturing to go ahead and point the trash in the barrel.

Well, when I got to the school I asked our admin assistant about the gesture. She said "Oh my, that's very rude!" She told me that it means oxen, and when someone makes the gesture he's essentially calling you a dumb ox....

True, or no?

Ms. Atondo · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:22 pm Post subject:

I guess it is rude but very common so it kind of looses its effect after a while as it seems to be one of the most common words I hear. A lot less rude than "guey" (with the two dots over the u that I can't seem to do on my compu) for some reasons.

vocholoco · Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Mexico DF

I'd say that's medium to mild in the hand-gestures scale. It's never happened to me (something to do with being a woman maybe?) but I have seen it. Why didn't you ask the guy what he meant by it? I usually do that if i think someone is being rude and it's a good way of taking the offensive without being offensive, if you see what i mean. Laughing

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

I asked a few people around the office because I wanted to know whether I'd been insulted or not! I think the meaning seems to vary from region to region; the admin assistant (from DF) seemed to think it's quite rude, but another (from Oaxaca) said no, it justs means 'negative', akin to shaking one's head.

I dunno myself; I'm just an ignorant gringo when it comes to such matters.

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Ms. Atondo wrote:

Ms. Atondo · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks Gregor,

I could always get the accent and tilde to work but never the "double dots" Now I can!

MELEE · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 5:16 pm Post subject:

LS

Last week I was thinking that I didn't know anything about this, but now my memory has been jogged and I agree with the Oaxacan who told you it just mean no. I have seen people, use this like we would use wagging an index finger. This is usually done from a distance, or when other verbal communication is otherwise hindered. For example the taxi drivers on the collectivo routes, will signal to another collectivo they are passing whether there are a lot of people waiting for a collectivo (palm up, fingers and thumb together) or no one, palm down, pinky and thumb sticking out and hand shaking, (similar to a Hawaiian hand sign I seem to remember meaning everything's okay).

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

Yeh, it's not rude at all, just means no. Actually, I don't know of any rude hand signals that are used in Oaxaca. The locals and students definitely do have a way of communicating without a word being said. I've seen students carry on animated 'conversations' with someone outside of the classroom, all via gestures, not a word being said.