Talk to the hand

John Lemon

Regular Member
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Near Frankfurt
I'm usually pretty well-informed on the latest AE/BE slang, but I think I'll have to pass on this one. According to Google, the full phrase is "talk to the hand cuz the face ain't listening" and it means something like "shut up, don't bother me with that." Could someone construct a conversation that makes sense and sounds natural which has one of the interlocutor replying with "Talk to the hand" ? I'd be eternally grateful.
 
Some people might avoid it, but I could disagree...

Interesting expression John. It baffled me at first, but this forum gave a good definition of it. According to what they say, some people think that "talk to my hand"

1. began in the 1990's among Afro-Americans.
2. alludes to the gesture of putting the hand, or both hands, in front of the speaker's face to express refusal to listen.
3. is considered too "low" for some "high-minded" people.

I think the expression is quite creative and vivid enough to be used by anyone in any situation of refusal. I'm no playwrite, but let me try a little adapting from the Grimm brothers.

"The wolf came back from the miller's and knocked on the door for the second time saying, 'Children, I'm back. Open the door!'
Brother lamb replied, 'How do I know you're my mother? Show me your two hands first,' at which the wolf slid its dough-covered paws through the cat hole in the hope of tricking the sheep into thinking he was their mother.

Brother sheep, seeing the two paws which were made up to look like Mother's hands, struck down with a sledge hammer so that the wolf had a great pain running up and down his spine. The wolf, cried in agony, 'How could you ! I'm your mother ? You ungrateful child. Damn you, and open this door before I huff and puff and blow the house down.'

Brother sheep laughed at his arse saying, 'Well, you can talk to my hand all day, but I already know you ate the three pigs.'"
 
Good news John ! Found "talk to a hand"

I found an interesting variant usage of "talk to the hand." Here is the search result : talk to a hand
 
Dear John, try watching the american talk shows... they are amusing, and possibly you will be able to hear the usage of that sentence, hmm maybe every 2 minutes?
 
Uh - that phrase isnt used anymore, and really when it was it was used comedically - the hand gesture in and of itself is really the only remains of the term. . .

1. began in the 1990's among Afro-Americans.

Uh - now AFRO-AMERICAN isnt a term that is used anymore - or really considered PC. . .
 
WHEATTHlNS said:
Uh - that phrase isnt used anymore, and really when it was it was used comedically - the hand gesture in and of itself is really the only remains of the term. . .
Thanks for explaining the details. I surely feel better informed.
Uh - now AFRO-AMERICAN isnt a term that is used anymore - or really considered PC. . .
What is the latest revision of PC 2005; how should it be said ? And when did they revise that ?
 
Uh- ok, thanks for that, but I dont think that some of the topics on the talkshows were that funny, yet they still used the whole shoulder swinging, head moving, hand splaying gesture. How could they do that to me? I thought it was an everyday thing! What am I going to tell my great grandchildren now!

Uh- also arent there other words which are less 'PC' than Afro American? I thought that was one of the more placid, friendly versions... should we not mention them? Or is the only thing we can say... "african americans". Enlighten me, you'll charm me, im sure.
 
I like the variant "Talk to the finger 'cos I ain't Jerry Springer" :D :D :D
(although this one should definitely NOT be used in polite conversation!)
 
Hehe... well it would be sure to raise some eyebrows, perhaps even more so than saying 'afro americans'.
 
Uh- ok, thanks for that, but I dont think that some of the topics on the talkshows were that funny, yet they still used the whole shoulder swinging, head moving, hand splaying gesture.

The great majority of these shows are staged.

I thought that was one of the more placid, friendly versions...

Afro-American isnt neccessarily deragatory - its just African-American or Blacks is more widely accepted and just doesnt have the tinge of racial bias in it that Afro-American does. If you use the term you might be looked at as a bit "old fashioned" and part of the set that used Negro (even though again this term wasnt as stinging as Nigger) - African-American just carries with it the same pedigree as Japanese-American, or Irish-American (in that it signifies a place of origin - which is something we blacks really dont have [the majority of blacks in America have ZERO way of knowing where their anscestors came from]).

Basically theres just better terms to use (even though - obviously - not all Black Americans are born in Africa). . .African-Americans seems the most non-racially charged - Blacks is ok to - but depending on how one says "Blacks", can make it into a racial-slap (like JAP for JAPANESE although I've seen Japanese refer to themselves as such) -
 
Thank you for correcting my speech habit; I have been away from the US for almost 10 yrs, and out-of-touch, so to speak. One question I have would be distinquishing an African American born in the US and one born in Africa. How would they be distinquished ? Another question would be whether the following is true.

Amer-Indian: Not PC
Native American: PC
 
Blacks is ok??????? WTF?
If I dared say that to any of the native NZers I would be sure to get a slap, even though im half Maori myself.
Nor do I think that Japs is a very 'PC' thing to say. Have you not noticed that for Coloured people to joke about themselves amongst themselves is ok, yet its not something that you should really bring to light yourself?
Oops am I allowed to say coloured?
I will just start to say "A person that lives in America, possibly born there maybe not... who has a darker complexion of maybe 7 shades than myself" I dont think anyone could accuse me of not being PC now!
My great grandfathers dog was called Nigger. So I wouldnt use that term for anything other than in reference to his pet.
Even if the shows are staged, they still use the whole 'talk to the hand' which is what the initial poster wanted to know... where/how/when is it used. Doesnt matter if its staged or not.
 

This thread has been viewed 11995 times.

Back
Top