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Show 26 BAD- CONTEMPT- UNDERSTAND- THINK. thumb. This may be compared with the deaf- mute sign of flipping an imaginary object between the thumb- nail and the forefinger, denoting something small or contemptible The motion of snapping a finger either on or from the thumb in disdain is not only of large modern prevalence in civilization, but is at least as ancient as the contemporary statue of Sardanapalus at Anchiale. Another sign is, hands open, palms turned' in, move one hand toward and the other from the body, then vice versd. Another less forcible but equally suggestive gesture for bad is closing the hand and then opening while lowering it, as if dropping out the contents ( Wied; McChesney); " not worth keeping." It becomes again more forcible in another variant, viz: the hand closed, back toward and near the breast, then as the forearm is suddenly extended the hand is opened and the fingers separated from each other. { Matthews.') This is the casting away of a supposed object, and the same authority connects it with contempt by reporting that the sign for the latter is the same, only still more forcibly made. Another sign for contempt, and which is the highest degree of insult, is as follows: The right hand is shut or clinched and held drawn in toward the chest and on a level with it, with the back of the hand down, and the shut fingers and thumb up, and the expression of contempt is given by extending out the hand and arm directly in front of the body, at the same time opening the thumb and fingers wide and apart, so that at the termination of the motion the arm is nearly extended, and the thumb and fingers all radiating out as it were from the center of the hand, and the palm of the hand still pointing upward. ( Gil-fillan.) The Neapolitans, to express contempt, blow towards the person or thing referred to. The deaf- mutes preserve the connection of " bad " and " taste" by brushing from the side of the mouth. Understand, know, is very variously expressed by manipulations in which the nose, ear, chin, mouth, and breast are selected as objective points, all the motions being appropriate. Think or guess is also diversely indicated. Sometimes the forefinger is simply drawn sharply across the breast from left to right. ( Burton.) Some hit the chest with closed fist, thumb over the fist. Again, the right fist is held with the thumb between the eyes and propelled front aud downward. We, for show of thought, rest the forefinger on the forehead. There is also a less intelligible sign, in which the right hand, fingers and thumb loosely closed, index crooked and |