Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with handwaving

Where does this phrase come from?

ricochet biscuit — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:33:53 -0800

What is the first usage in a song of "wave your hands in the air, like you [just] don't care"? It seems to be a pretty common phrase in the lyrics of some music genres these days. The first time I encountered it was in Cameo's "Word Up," but I am curious to know who was the unsung creator of this enduring phrase.

What's so special about the hot sand?

Caviar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:48:10 -0800

What's so special about the hot sand that opticians use? Do I need this to make adjustments to my glasses frames? Okay, so I bought some cheap frames from Zenni. I like them a lot, and the fit is pretty good, but not exact. Every time I've had glasses adjusted at the opticians, they've always dipped them in the hot sand pit first. Do I need that? Can I just bend them (they're regular metal frames, not titanium)? Should I not try to do this myself?

I want my hands to learn how to dance!

evariste — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:41:58 -0800

How can I become more expressive with my hands when I'm talking to people? When you see Italians (or Mediterraneans in general) talking their hands are all over the place punctuating the conversation and drawing pictures for their companion, and I'm jealous. I want my hands to talk with me, I really like that animated style of conversation, and I find it sort of sensual and more alive. I've decided I want my hands not to be a pair of dead fishes on the table when I'm talking to someone, but can't figure out what to do with them or how to get started. Can this skill be learned as an adult or do you have to grow up in a family that does it? I embarrass easily so it's hard for me to just start gesticulating in a conversation when I don't have a real sense of what my hands should be doing, exactly. It seems like it's a whole language of gesture and I don't know how to get started learning the "words" so I can start saying my own "phrases" with my hands at the same that I'm talking.