Flicking the throat with the thumb and index finger
Brief description:
You form your hand into a fist without clenching it, so that the pad of the thumb lies on top of the fingernail of the index finger. You then bring it to your throat and produce a flick with the index finger against the side of the throat.

What does it mean?
1. A hint at a desire to drink alcohol. The gesture is informal and humorous, often used in everyday communication.
The gesture is usually friendly and inviting: it creates an atmosphere of ease and togetherness in a group, reminds others of shared fun, serves as a suggestion to continue the drinking session, or expresses anticipation of a future meeting. The gesture is used strictly in informal settings: it is not used in official communication, business interaction, public speaking, or when interacting with unfamiliar people. It is most typical among friends, at a meal table, during informal outdoor gatherings, in a bar, or at home — wherever alcohol consumption is not objected to by participants.
The phases of the gesture and its execution
  • Preparation- The hand moves upward along the vertical axis. The arm bends at the elbow. The upper arm is positioned along the torso. The hand transitions into a fist configuration.
  • Pre-stroke- The arm is bent at the elbow. The upper arm is positioned along the torso. The forearm is raised vertically upward. The hand is in a fist configuration, oriented toward the back of the communicator. The little finger is perpendicular to the floor. The pad of the thumb lies on top of the fingernail of the middle finger.
  • Stroke- The arm is bent at the elbow. The upper arm is positioned along the torso. The forearm is raised vertically upward. The hand is in a fist configuration oriented toward the back of the communicator. The little finger is perpendicular to the floor. The middle finger slips out from under the thumb and strikes the throat.
  • Post-stroke- The arm is bent at the elbow. The upper arm is positioned along the torso. The forearm is raised vertically upward. The hand is in a fist configuration. The middle finger is extended and rests on the throat.
  • Retraction- The arm straightens at the elbow. The forearm moves downward along the vertical axis. The hand transitions into an open hand configuration. The arm returns to a position along the torso.
Sources:
  1. Grishina, E. A. (2017). Russian Gesture from a Linguistic Perspective: Corpus Studies. Languages of Slavic Culture.
  2. Kendon, A. (2004). Gesture: Visible action as utterance. Cambridge University Press
Tags
flicking throat, drinking, alcohol, vodka, booze, drunk, let's drink, shot, bar, liquor, russian drinking gesture
Made on
Tilda