Talk like Moroccan with your Hands!

Moroccans love to talk with their hands. Not just to provide visual cues, but to communicate real information too. Here are a few way that will have you talking (or gesturing) fluently in no time. Right is right. Left? ...it's sinister.



Hand wildly flapped over right shoulder: Something happened long ago. Ex: "Sure, I ate sweet delicous other white meat porkchops. Pan fried with some onions and apples, little fresh cracked black pepper...but that was a very long time ago"

Making like a tea pot. Pinky is the spout, thumb sticks up as handle: Tea as in "do you want me to pour you some tea"

Thumb outsteached as a bottle neck, other other fingers curled as in a fist: Beer. "Do you drink beer?". Often accumpanied by snickering, knowing looks, and a vauge sence of transgresing social order. This might have to do with the low quality of beer available or person drinking.

Thumb is a spout, hand is a fist. Tipped into the mouth: Water. "Im thirsty, please can I have some water". Also used by bored impoverished shepard children to get tourists to stop for their entertainment and enrichment.

Thumb and pointer finger making a zero: Of no value, worthless. Ex: "I do not like Merzuga. It has to many tourists and jerk faux-guides. Its a zero".

Hand extended, middle finger down: Figure it out.

Both hands in front of body, rotating at wrists. Confused look on face: What are you doing? Where have you been? Whats up?

Thumb rubbing against pointer and middle finger, palm up: Money. Lots of it.

Thumb rubbing against pointer and middle finger, palm down: Salt. As in "Please put some salt on my french fries".

Thumb under chin, forward movement: Too much or its full. Ex:"There is no space on the bus, its full" or "That jerk wanted 1000dh for the carpet. Way to much".

Pointer finger aimed at the heavens: Talkin' about the man upstairs.

Hand at temple as though making to screw a lightbulb into ones ear: Crazy. Often directed at another who is speaking, or a third party.

Stroking chin as though one has a beard: Older man, or an actual beard.

Hand on back, left on an imaginary staff, body hunched over: A very old man, or even some object very old. Ex: "You need a new cell phone Scott. Your's is very old".

Pointer finger extended and rubbing along chin cleft (for those blessed with one): Older women. Referencing facial tattoo's sported on many older females.

Both hands in front of body, moving in small circles as though one was using them to ride a bike: Bike riding. Note: Moroccans use their feet to ride, but hands to mime the motion.

Pointer finger pulling skin down under right eye: Sinful,wrong, hsuma Ex: "That guy was talking about drinking Jack Williams brand wiskey. Sinful!"

Hand in chopping motion. Hand flat, or as holding something: A whipping. Ex: "That kid through a rock at me. He needs to get wacked".

Left pointer finger, turgid. Right thumb and finger in a circle. Left is inserted into the hole formed by right: An immature way to reference a mature subject.

Throwing food into an open mouth: Food. Used all the time.

Hand in a fist, pumped enthusisticly in front of the chest: Forcefully. Often used by males to reference "the marital act", wherether under that auspice or not. Not used by females, who have no interest in that stuff anyway. :)

Hands together, under head tilted sideways: Sleep, or sleepy. Ex: "Scott, are you sleepy? Did my braying mule wake you up last night?".

Fingers coming together in a pinch. In front of ones mouth or directed: Quiet, or be quiet.