How do you wave?

[lavenderblue]

Random, I know. I always wave by holding up my hand and opening and closing it. My neighbor moves her hand side to side. My neighbor and I waved hi to each other yesterday and it just got me wondering how others wave. 

[waverly]

In the car it’s more just like hand up occasional I might move it slightly to the side. It’s not super side to side (not a pageant wave) and I definitely don’t open and close.

[fivechickens]

Usually side to side.

If I am waving to a baby or toddler I wave by opening and closing my hand.

[bbdoll]

Like the old knight in Indiana Jones when the cave is collapsing. Hand up, closed hand, no real movement.

[maudefindlay]

Hand up and move it side to side.

[arielroux]

I think it depends? I’ve never thought about this before today!

I usually hold my hand up and sometimes will move it once for twice to the side from my wrist. Meaning it’s not like Forrest Gump whole forearm wave, lol. The movement is just my hand, coming from my wrist.

If I’m in the car and waving to another driver as a thank you, I usually just put my hand up.

If I’m waving to a kid, I’ll move my hand more, or do the open/close move.

That was a really deep dive into my waving styles.

[fernweh]

Either side to side or sometimes just hand up, no movement.

Opening and closing is how I view babies/toddlers as waving. I might do that if I am waving to them, but never adults.

[circa1978]

Side to side

[penelope]

So weird, I just thought about this last night while walking the dog. When people move over into the other lane on the country road we walk on, I always wave to say thank you. I realized last night that I do the two finger, motorcycle wave. Lol...Anyone that has ever ridden knows that almost all motorcycle riders do the two finger wave (usually down by the hips) to other bikers. It's been a few years since we've ridden but that is still how I do it, just up further and not by the hips like you do when in a seated position.

[fortnightlily]

Most of the time just rock side-to-side from the wrist, but occasionally I'll rotate my forearm a bit or do the open/close fingers.

[VillainV]

Side to side.

[bee20]

From the wrist, with a side to side and slight rotational movement. Flapping the hand I don't think I've seen outside of a movie, where I associate it with older women who say "toodles".

[tacokick]

Side to side but I think I’m also a finger wiggler.

[glw]

Apr 16, 2024 7:47:52 GMT -5 bbdoll said:

Like the old knight in Indiana Jones when the cave is collapsing. Hand up, closed hand, no real movement.

LOL, yes. This.

[basilosaurus]

[DotAndBuzz]

Me in my neighborhood, every day:



Me in my car, driving past people in my neighborhood (we're midwest wavers, EVERYONE waves, even from cars, in our neighborhood):

[rhian]

Apr 16, 2024 7:56:53 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Either side to side or sometimes just hand up, no movement.

Opening and closing is how I view babies/toddlers as waving. I might do that if I am waving to them, but never adults.

I definitely open and close with babies/toddlers. I have a toddler now, so I end up waving like this a lot these days.

I think I do both when waving to adults? Or kind of putting my hand up in acknowledgement to neighbors.

[shauni27]

DotAndBuzz, excellent imagery, lol.

basilosaurus, this is the gif I send to people via text when we are talking for the first time in ages, lol.

[litebright]

I wave multiple ways. It depends on the context.

In a Zoom call with coworkers: Hand open/close.

Walking the dog and waving at passing cars (I wave at every passing car, we live in a semi-rural area and there aren't many): Arm up, hand open (grail knight wave)

Seeing a friend/trying to catch their attention from a short distance/social wave greeting someone I actually know: Forrest Gump wave.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I most often attempt to wave to people while I'm out walking both of my dogs, with a leash in each hand, so it's often a struggle to even get one hand all the way up, let alone actually move that hand, so I usually half lift a hand and throw in a head nod and smile as greeting.

But if I'm not encumbered by dogs I wave side to side from the wrist.

[basilosaurus]

In reality, I just lift my hand a bit, open palm, no other movement. Shaka when I lived in Hawaii.

But I can't help but use that gif regularly. It cracks me up.

[meanie]

Side to side, open-close to a young child

[janegold]

[lilac05]

It depends on context, but DotAndBuzz's pictures are pretty accurate!

[4speedy]

Apr 16, 2024 7:47:52 GMT -5 bbdoll said:

Like the old knight in Indiana Jones when the cave is collapsing. Hand up, closed hand, no real movement.

So you hold a fist up to people? How’s that working out for you?

[W.T.Faulkner]

Like an enthusiastic freak.

[bbdoll]

Apr 16, 2024 12:16:50 GMT -5 4speedy said:

Apr 16, 2024 7:47:52 GMT -5 bbdoll said:

Like the old knight in Indiana Jones when the cave is collapsing. Hand up, closed hand, no real movement.

So you hold a fist up to people? How’s that working out for you?

Oops.  Didn't realize how that would sound.  Not a fist.  Closed fingers together.  Open hand.  I'm at work so I can't post a picture.

[pandorica]

I associate the opening/closing fingers with little kid waving, but given I have 3 little kids that's how I've started waving to everyone unless I really think about it. Used to be side to side.

I'm also glad that I'm home alone because I've tried to mimic all of the waves based on the descriptions people are giving to figure them out.

[sonrisa]

Apr 16, 2024 12:30:17 GMT -5 bbdoll said:

Apr 16, 2024 12:16:50 GMT -5 4speedy said:

So you hold a fist up to people? How’s that working out for you?

Oops.  Didn't realize how that would sound.  Not a fist.  Closed fingers together.  Open hand.  I'm at work so I can't post a picture.

like you are taking an oath?

[TR]

Apr 16, 2024 12:46:15 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Apr 16, 2024 12:30:17 GMT -5 bbdoll said:

Oops.  Didn't realize how that would sound.  Not a fist.  Closed fingers together.  Open hand.  I'm at work so I can't post a picture.

like you are taking an oath?

I picture it like how I would raise my hand if I was waiting for my takeout order in a large crowd and they called my name and I wanted to signal, yes that’s me, I’m coming to get it. Arm mostly or all the way up, just no movement in the hand.

Taking an oath, I would keep my elbow fully bent and at my side so that my hand would be up by my shoulder.