[Ads-l] spooky claws

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> The gesture I have in mind is the kind you use to tease little kids into
> expecting the zombie apocalypse.
>
> You furrow your brow, purse your lips, scrunch your neck, lean forward,
> extend your arms slightly, curve your fingers, then wiggle them menacingly,
> often while making a moaning supernatural sound.

It does seem that there are many stereotypical gestures that do not
currently have names.

Several people have mentioned the "air quotes" gesture which does have
a name, but it differs from JL's description. Here are two pertinent
pics from shutterstock.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/air-quotes-109508960
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smiling-young-businessman-showing-air-quotes-74570245

There is another named gesture called "jazz hands" that differs from
JL's description, but it does involve wiggling the fingers. Here is a
pertinent video from YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuPSIbABYVU

There is another gesture that is usually aimed at younger children.
The hands are intended to represent stereotypical versions of claws on
a tiger, lion, or cat-like creature. The intent is to frighten or
mock-frighten. However, one usually makes clawing motions with the
fingers. This differs from JL's description because one does not
wiggle the fingers in a spooky way. I do not know if this gesture has
a name.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-asian-chinese-man-wearing-tshirt-1475755280
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-crazy-man-casual-clothes-posing-1506971987

The following snapshot is ambiguous to me. The child might be making a
gesture of derision. To make this gesture one places one's thumbs near
one's ears and wiggles one's fingers. One might stick out one's
tongue. One might make a raspberry sound. I do not know if this
gesture has a name.

Alternatively, the child might be making a mock frightening gesture.
To make this gesture one would make ghostly sounds and wiggle one's
fingers.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/boy-making-funny-face-49551127

Garson

> Wallace's ironic message was pretty clearly, "WOOOOOOO! The
> Conspira-tors'll git you/ Ef /You/  Don't/ Watch/ Out!!"
>
> Not how I use air quotes.
>
> JL
>
> On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 1:52 PM Andy Bach <afbach at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > And if there is an existing term somewhere, tell me what it is,  (Then
> > switch to " spooky claws.")
> >
> > Isn't "air quotes" the usual term?  Unless you mean that the face
> > scrunch/air quotes adds a level of disbelief that air quotes alone doesn't
> > carry.
> >
> > On Sun, Sep 29, 2019 at 4:41 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > On Friday, MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace made political history by becoming the
> > > first former Republican White House staffer and current news host to
> > > scrunch up her face and wiggle her fingers at viewers while expressing
> > > skepticism about a conspiracy theory.
> > >
> > > I asked my wife if some phrase existed for this familiar, two-handed
> > wiggly
> > > gesture.  She immediately responded, "spooky claws."    I wondered aloud
> > > why I'd never met with that expression, and she clarified by saying she'd
> > > just made it up.
> > >
> > > So if there's no recognized term, I urge everyone to adopt "making spooky
> > > claws."  ('Tis the season.)
> > >
> > > And if there is an existing term somewhere, tell me what it is,  (Then
> > > switch to " spooky claws.")
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > > --
> > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > a
> >
> > Andy Bach,
> > afbach at gmail.com
> > 608 658-1890 cell
> > 608 261-5738 wk
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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