Gallic Shrug

• The Gallic shrug is an expression of indifference typically associated with French culture. To execute it, you pout your lower lip, raise your eyebrows and shoulders in harmony, and release a gruff of apathy. It can also express doubt, disagreement, and the rejection of blame. The French use Gallic shrugs to respond to poor service, for example. It can also be employed to display nonchalance and relaxed swagger when a romantic advance has been denied.
  
  

Wink

• The short and sweet closing of one eyelid carries manifold meanings. In western culture, a wink can be a sign that two people have a common understanding of an intention not known to anyone else. Sexual invitation is another of the wink's possible connotations, especially in Latin America. For the Yoruba people of Nigeria, winks double as a request for children to exit a space. The Chinese culture can regard winking as rude and inappropriate.
  
  

Curtsy

• Women typically execute this gesture. It is no surprise that its spelling shows some relationship to the word "courtesy." To show respect or politeness, a lady will curtsy: she will lower her body, bend her knees, and may also bow her head. Curtsying is often performed for royalty, political leadership, and other people of a status superior to the one who curtsies. The Victorian era in Britain featured several different ways to curtsy, involving leg positions and timing.
  
  

Thumbs Up

• A closed fist and a thumb held upward characterize this gesture. A host of meanings can be implied with it, depending on culture. In the United States and other western countries, "thumbs up" connotes positivity and casual congratulations. It can also be used to hitchhike. Countries like Iran, Iraq and Thailand take the "thumbs up" as a signal of great rudeness and obscenity, however. It can also be interpreted as an insult in Australia when the thumb moves slightly.