The revers of the menton (italien/napolitain)
Finger under chin, quick movement. Light Italian insult meaning "I don't care" or social rejection. Neapolitan gesture of indifference little known in the northern West.
Meaning
Target direction : Rejection, indifference, "I don't care". Finger under chin, quick forward movement. Light gesture of indifference in southern Italy.
Interpreted meaning : In the North West, the gesture can be misunderstood as a gesture of affection (chin caress) or a neutral gesture with no clear semantics. Often confused with benevolent gestures.
Geography of misunderstanding
Offensive
- italy
- sicily
- malta
- albania
- greece
Neutral
- usa
- canada
- france
- germany
- uk
- australia
Not documented
- moyen-orient
- asie-du-sud
- asie-centrale-caucase
1. The gesture and its expected meaning
Index or middle finger under the chin, rapid forward (or upward) movement, usually accompanied by a neutral facial expression or slight smile: this is the "gesto del mento" or "sotto al mento" in southern Italian (particularly Campania/Naples). Meaning: "I don't care", "it's indifference", "your remark doesn't interest me". The gesture is relatively light in offensive charge - closer to social disapproval than serious insult.
It's a particularly Neapolitan gesture, less common in northern Italy (Lombardy, Piedmont) or Tuscany.
2. Where things go wrong: the geography of misunderstanding
In the North West and North America, the gesture has no established semantics. It can be confused with a gesture of affection (affectionately stroking a child's chin) or interpreted as a neutral gesture without meaning. There have been no documented major incidents of escalation due to misunderstanding of this gesture - unlike the more serious emblems.
Morris et al. (1979) briefly mention it as an Italian regional variation with no major hazard; Axtell (1998) classifies it as a moderate hazard level.
3. Historical background
The origin of the gesture is poorly documented. Probably linked to the specific Neapolitan sociolinguistic context - Neapolitan gestures are reputed to be particularly rich and varied. The gesture seems to have emerged in the Neapolitan urban context in the 19th-20th centuries, with no documented antecedents. No ancient sources mention this gesture.
4. famous documented incidents
- Used in Italian social realism cinema (1960s-1980s) The gesture appears in Neapolitan and southern films as a social and dialect marker, confirming its popular use and semantics.
- **Occasionally mentioned in dialogues on contemporary Italian literature as a gesture of mild rejection.
5. Practical recommendations
- To do: Safe use in southern Italy in a slightly casual context. Low-risk gesture overall.
- Never do: minimum vigilance in ultra-conservative areas. Do not use in front of authorities or hierarchies to whom you owe respect.
- Alternatives: horizontal nod, verbal expression of "not interested".
Documented incidents
- — Geste figure dans films de réalisme social napolitain, confirmant usage populaire et sémantique locale.
Practical recommendations
To do
- Usage sûr en Italie du Sud, contexte léger d'indifférence.
Avoid
- Éviter face à autorité ou hiérarchie à qui respect dû. Ne pas utiliser en contexte professionnel/diplomatique.
Neutral alternatives
- Horizontal head nod.
- Verbal expression.
Sources
- Morris, D., Collett, P., Marsh, P., & O'Shaughnessy, M. (1979). Gestures: Their Origins and Distribution. Stein & Day.
- Axtell, R. E. (1998). Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. John Wiley & Sons.
- Kendon, A. (2004). Gesture: Visible Action as Utterance. Cambridge University Press.