Hand Signals: Difference between revisions

This trope is frequently played for laughs, usually through [[Lampshade Hanging]]. Instances include a character [[Nonverbal Miscommunication|misunderstanding a signal]], thinking a character is gesturing meaninglessly when they are attempting to frantically make themselves understood, and the gratuitous use of hand signals when they aren't required.

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* The five main ninja villages in ''[[Naruto]]'' each have their own version of military Hand Signals, though some overlap is obvious and visible.

** ''1st Gig'' episode "In the Forest of Pupae – PORTRAITZ". The Major and Batou use this when they infiltrate a youth reform facility for fear of having their comms intercepted/destroyed/hacked after losing contact with Togusa.

** ''2nd GIG'' episode #4 "Natural Enemy". During a military live fire exercise, one of the soldiers uses hand signals to control the movement of troops infiltrating a building.

== Film ==

* Seth Rogen's character in ''[[The 40-Year-Old Virgin]]'' replies to the title character's description of his weekend by making a gun with one hand and firing it into the side of his head, then spreading his other hand quickly on the opposite side to indicate the resulting gore spatter. It was pretty graphic.

* ''[[Predator]]''. Dutch and the members of his hostage rescue team use [[Hand Signals]] to give information and instructions to each other.

* Spoofed in ''[[Johnny English]]'': The titular secret agent and his subordinate are sneaking through a parking lot after being shot at. He doesn't want to risk giving away his position, so he tries to use hand signals to tell Baugh to move up one floor and cover that area. But due to Johnny being quite incompetent, he makes several sequences of silly gestures before he gives up and just whispers "You. Upstairs." while pointing.

* ''[[Lilo and Stitch]]'': Nani coaches Lilo through her interview with Cobra Bubbles, which Lilo "misinterprets" to make it seem that Nani mistreats her.

* ''[[The Guns of Navarone]]''.

** Leutnant Muesel gives a "stop" signal to his troops when they're approaching the wedding party.

** Inside a tavern a Greek Resistance member gives one to a bartender to turn out the light.

** When Gerard receives word of Kimble escaping in an ambulance, he gives a thumbs up to his helicopter pilot as a signal to start the engine.

** While Gerard is leading the other marshals through the drains, he makes a gesture indicating they should turn off and take one of the tunnels.

** Gila gives a signal to the Italians to come out and set up their outdoor cafe on top of the Exotica Beauty company building after it sinks into the ground.

* ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]''. Captain Nemo uses them to direct his men while invading the Fantom's factory/fortress.

* ''[[Aliens]]''. During the preparation for the [[Drop Ship]]'s departure Lieutenant Gorman gives a "thumbs up" gesture to the pilots and one to Bishop who's driving the APC.

* ''[[Toy Story]]''

** Woody and the mutilated toys used them while preparing to rescue Buzz from Sid.

** [[It Makes Sense in Context|Mr Tortilla-Head]] uses baseball signals during the escape sequence in the third film.

* ''[[The Sting]]''.

** The [[Con Man]] recognition signal (brushing the nose with a finger).

* ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'' has a hilarious scene where Dr. Frankenstein attempts to use charades to communicate with his assistants, since he's being strangled by the monster. [[Take Your Time|One long set of hand signals]] later, and the two of them finally catch on. The Doctor is alive, if miffed.

{{quote| "SED-A-''GIVE''!?!"}}

{{quote| '''Jason:''' Gwen, I gave you the ''kill'' signal.<br />

'''Gwen:''' Right, 'we're dead.' [She repeats the gesture.] I was agreeing with you. Like I know where the damn button is! }}

'''J.D.:''' Lay off me, I only know the Ranger signals. }}

* At the beginning of ''[[Ultraviolet]]'', the commando team leader uses the "closed fist" signal for "stop".

** Arthur uses some to direct his knights after arriving at the castle with the insulting French guards.

** The chief of the Knights Who Say Ni holds up a hand to stop his fellow Knights from saying Ni to King Arthur and his party.

* [[Free Willy]] Jesse uses one of his orca training hand signals to cue Willy to jump the breakwater. Also occurs in the sequel, ''Free Willy 2''.

* [[Saving Private Ryan]] shows Pvt. Jackson sending a very sophisticated series of hand gestures down from the bell tower to Capt. Miller during the climax, informing him of the disposition of enemy troops.

* In ''Dobermann'', the titular character's girlfriend, played by Monica Bellucci, is deaf and the two communicate solely through sign language.

* ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''. In the 1991 film, when the elevator holding the police officers opens, their leader uses a hand gestures to signal them to leave and then uses another gesture to call over another cop waiting outside. He does this because he thinks Hannibal Lecter is hiding on the roof of the elevator listening to them.

* ''[[Mars Attacks (Film)]]!'' When the Martians invade the senior citizen center where Richie's grandmother is staying, one of them silently beckons a large [[Disintegrator Ray]] device forward so it can destroy her.

== Literature ==

* In ''Red Seas Under Red Skies'', there's one scene where {{spoiler|Jean appears to be betraying Locke, and Locke panics because he misses Jean's hand signal letting him know it's all an act.}}

* In ''[[Dune]]'' multiple characters use hand signals to give orders to their subordinates. In fact, there are entire sign languages developed separately by [[Feuding Families|the Atreides and the Harkonnens]] that allow them to communicate irrelevant information verbally and important stuff, with their hands, making sure that even if they are overheard, the enemy won't learn anything.

* In ''Mirror Friend Mirror Foe'', a ninja family is not only trained in that... They can communicate that way while having a verbal conversation on a totally unrelated matter.

* ''[[Bored of the Rings]]''. When Frito Bugger first sees Stomper the ranger in the Goode Eats & Lodging inn, Stomper uses a variety of hand gestures to invite Frito to meet him in the inn's bathroom in 5 minutes.

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': the Initiative uses military sign language, but the Scooby gang doesn't, which makes it hard for Riley to patrol with them.

** In one episode, Riley pumps his fist up and down, which the other characters interpret as a gesture meaning to follow him. "Like a train. Choo choo!"

** Parodied in the very meta episode "200", in an imaginary sequence where Jack is [[Invisibility|turned invisible]]. On a mission, the other members of SG-1 sit there waiting, at which point Invisi-Jack asks "Can't you see my hand signals?"

* In ''[[Supernatural]]'', Sam and Dean have occasionally been shown using military hand signals when silent coordination is needed. Never explicitly brought up, but their Dad (who trained them to hunt) was an ex-marine, making it likely he taught them.

* Amusingly done in an early episode of ''[[Sanctuary]]'', Magnus and Ashley are communicating an attack plan (Ashley wants to use a different plan). Magnus finishes the exchange with a signal that Will can't translate and he asks about it. Magnus threatened to cut Ashley's allowance.

* In ''[[Best Love]]'', Dokko Jin gives Ae Jung's nephew a secret hand signal so he could have some alone time with her.

* On ''[[The West Wing]]'', President Bartlett has had a very inconvenient MS attack while traveling to an important conference in China. While he regains some of his mobility by the time Air Force One arrives, he's still confined to a chair and heavily fatigued. CJ tells him to give a signal if he needs a break from the conference, and suggests he tug on his ear to let them know he needs them to make up a "something's gone wrong back home that needs the President on the phone" excuse. [[Nonverbal Miscommunication|Unfortunately,]] CJ forgets to tell anyone else about this, largely because the President himself didn't take it seriously at first. She's absent for much of the conference, and returns to find the President frantically tugging on his ear.

* In ''[[Murphy Brown]]'', Miles often used the "stretch" and "speed up" signals described under [[Real Life]] below.

** 1st Edition had alignment languages, which included special signals and gestures.

* [[Star Wars]] saga edition had handsignals in one splatbook handled elegantly as a language. Well worth the cost, if you're playing that sort of campaign.

* ''Neverwhere'' RPG. Sewer Folk use Handsign (hand signals, mime and touch) to communicate with each other.

== Video Games ==

* Eddie's orders to his troops in ''[[Brutal Legend]]'' all have associated hand signals that appear on the orders cross. He even goes through them in the [[Justified Tutorial]]: he's allegedly teaching the somewhat thick Headbangers what the signals mean, but he's also teaching the player. Stop is the military raised fist. For follow, he raises his ax. Charge is, appropriately, throwing "the horns".

* ''Day of Defeat'' has stock phrases in voice (which good bots understand) doubled in silent signals.

* ''[[South Park]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSbyav7qQh8\]: when the boys are playing detective Cartman uses (made-up) military sign language to communicate with Kyle, but he doesn't understand; so Cartman translates as he goes:

{{quote| I - see - two guys - inside - They - have - Sarah Peterson's - doll - you - stupid - Jew!}}

* ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]]'': While infiltrating a plush toy factory, Skipper gives King Julien hand signals to go ahead and keep a lookout. Julien doesn't understand the signals, obviously, so Skipper simply screams the instructions to him, who responds with "Why didn't you just say so?"

* In ''B.O.B.'s Big Break'', the short made for the ''[[Monsters vs. Aliens]]'' DVD, General Monger (who was still captain at this point) does a series of silly-looking signals to a team of unseen commandos ready to attack if the monsters tried anything funny. Later it is revealed that {{spoiler|there are no commandos, and Monger just likes doing silly signals.}}

* ''[[The Simpsons]]'': When Homer was in the power plant's baseball team, Mr. Burns instructs him with a series of bizarre hand signals which Homer doesn't understand, mostly because his mind wandered off while Burns was explaining them.

* ''[[Jonny Quest]]'' episode "Pirates From Below". When Colonel Svedry is up on the underwater prober and about to enter it, he makes a beckoning gesture to his subordinate who is standing on the sand below.

* ''[[The Herculoids]]'' episode "The Raiders". Igoo and Zandor use them to signal the beginning of the attack.