Russian Gestures
Extend
your right hand over the top of your head and scratch your left ear. This
conveys the idea that someone does everything backwards, or needlessly
complicates things, is incapable of doing anything in a direct way. Try this
out on your American overcomplicator-friends. For extra effect stick your
tongue out when performing the gesture.
Spit
over your left shoulder three times to ward off bad luck. Do this instead of
knocking on wood. In fact, nowadays Russians do not actually spit over the
shoulder; they make a spitting sound three times: Tfoo, tfoo, tfoo. A
Russian acquaintance of mine, Tanya Gromova, once told me I was doing the sound
wrong: instead of saying Tfoo, tfoo, tfoo over the shoulder, I was
saying simply Foo, foo, foo. Incorrect spitting won’t work to keep the
bad luck away.
Try
it then, Bobby. Тьфу, Тьфу, Тьфу! You got
it!
[excerpted from book by U.R. Bowie, Here We Be. Where Be We?]
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