Inventing a 'Sorry' gesture

The ANWB (a traffic organization) took it upon itself to invite readers to come up with gestures to say 'sorry' to other drivers in traffic. This born-dead initiative actually was reported in the Kampioen of May 2006 (their semi-glossy), with no less than 5 suggestions:

• The V-for-victory sign (but then the V would stand for 'Verontschuldiging'...)
• SORRY in Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT); a fist rubbed in small circles on the chest...
• Spreading the fingers in front of the eyes (as in 'could you see this through the fingers, please', which is a Dutch saying)
• Tapping the chest 3 times an saying 'Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa'...
• Raising a hand with 3 fingers spread and stretched (index, middle, ring) towards the face, forming a capital E, as in Excuse, Excusez, Excuus, Entschuldigung...

Apart from just being silly proposals, this list is quite wonderful. It shows how little most people are aware of the way our gestures evolve. They aren't invented by a committee and spread to the masses. A new gesture, like a new word, starts appearing in everyday language, first used in a small group then gaining popularity. Often, it will have been adopted from other cultures, it's meaning perhaps slightly deformed.

Adding to the silliness of the story: It's a rerun of this halfbaked-idea (and one more). And like the first responder, I will add that at least in the Netherlands there is a generally used sign for sorry: Hand lightly up, palm facing recipient, shrug shoulders, give sheepish smile, mouth 'sorry'. Not unlike this one from South Africa. I wonder, could it even be universal?

There's a nice one from the back of Aussie Brett Lee, trying to appease an angry cricket opponent after hurling a nasty ball at him: Update: 3VO, the traffic safety agency that masterminded the election, now hass a poll online, here's the results.

Tags: gesture, inventing, apology, universal, expressive