Jump to content

User:JonathanGodwin/Awkward turtle: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
Awkward turtle is a slang two-handed gesture used to silently mark a moment as awkward. A number of spinoff hand gestures akin to the awkward turtle have since arisen (like the awkward palm tree, which even has its own Facebook page; the awkward bell; and the awkward gong). The gesture is likely used in most cases playfully and ironically. Some have remarked that giving the gesture is a sort of celebration of social discomfort.<ref name="UniversidaddeAlicante">{{cite web |last=Victor |first=Terry |title=Unconventional English in a Conventional Setting: The Genesis and Joy of the New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English |url= http://hdl.handle.net/10045/22607 |work=|date=2011 |publisher=Universidad de Alicante |accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="BrownDailyHerald">{{cite web |last=Stein |first=Andrew |title=If being awkward is cool, I’m Miles Davis |url= http://www.browndailyherald.com/2006/02/03/andrew-stein-06-if-being-awkward-is-cool-im-miles-davis/ |work=|date=3 February 2006 |publisher=The Brown Daily Herald |accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref>
Awkward turtle is a slang two-handed gesture used to silently mark a moment as awkward. A number of spinoff hand gestures akin to the awkward turtle have since arisen (like the awkward palm tree, which even has its own Facebook page; awkward bell; awkward ). The gesture is likely used in most cases playfully and ironically. Some have remarked that giving the gesture is a sort of celebration of social discomfort.<ref name="UniversidaddeAlicante">{{cite web |last=Victor |first=Terry |title=Unconventional English in a Conventional Setting: The Genesis and Joy of the New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English |url= http://hdl.handle.net/10045/22607 |work=|date=2011 |publisher=Universidad de Alicante |accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="BrownDailyHerald">{{cite web |last=Stein |first=Andrew |title=If being awkward is cool, I’m Miles Davis |url= http://www.browndailyherald.com/2006/02/03/andrew-stein-06-if-being-awkward-is-cool-im-miles-davis/ |work=|date=3 February 2006 |publisher=The Brown Daily Herald |accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref>


The awkward turtle is gestured by placing one hand flat atop the other with both palms facing down, fingers extended outward from the hand and thumbs stuck out to the sides. The thumbs are rotated to symbolize flippers.<ref name="AwkwardTurtleGesture">{{cite web |last=Leber |first=Jessica |title=Do the Awkward Turtle |url=http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2008-04-15/leber-awkwardturtle.html |work=Columbia News Service |date=15 April 2008 |publisher=Columbia Journalism School |accessdate=6 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="Claremont">{{cite web |last=Grate |first=Rachel |title=If I Were to Meet You Again |url=http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=passwords |work=Passwords |date=4 June 2012 |publisher=Journals at Claremont at Scholarship @ Claremont |accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref>
The awkward turtle is gestured by placing one hand flat atop the other with both palms facing down, thumbs stuck out to the sides flippers.<ref name="AwkwardTurtleGesture">{{cite web |last=Leber |first=Jessica |title=Do the Awkward Turtle |url=http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2008-04-15/leber-awkwardturtle.html |work=Columbia News Service |date=15 April 2008 |publisher=Columbia Journalism School |accessdate=6 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="Claremont">{{cite web |last=Grate |first=Rachel |title=If I Were to Meet You Again |url=http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=passwords |work=Passwords |date=4 June 2012 |publisher=Journals at Claremont at Scholarship @ Claremont |accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref>


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 20:55, 15 January 2018

Awkward turtle is a slang two-handed gesture used to silently mark a moment or situation as awkward. A number of spinoff hand gestures akin to the awkward turtle have since arisen (like the awkward palm tree, which even has its own Facebook page; awkward bell; awkward gong; awkward antlers; and awkward tent). The gesture is likely used in most cases playfully and ironically. Some have remarked that giving the gesture is a sort of celebration of social discomfort.[1][2][3]

The gesture is the same as American Sign Language's for sea turtle.[4] The awkward turtle is gestured by placing one hand flat atop the other with both palms facing down, thumbs stuck out to the sides and rotating to look like flippers.[5][6]

History

A student journalist reported on the ubiquitousness of the awkward turtle hand gesture at the University of Pennsylvania on 3 February 2006.[2]

References

  1. ^ Victor, Terry (2011). "Unconventional English in a Conventional Setting: The Genesis and Joy of the New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English". Universidad de Alicante. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b Stein, Andrew (3 February 2006). "If being awkward is cool, I'm Miles Davis". The Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3. ^ Peckham, Aaron (1 January 2009). Mo' Urban Distionary: Ridonkulous Street Slang Defined. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 0740788922.
  4. ^ "ASL Sign for Sea Turtle". HandSpeak.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  5. ^ Leber, Jessica (15 April 2008). "Do the Awkward Turtle". Columbia News Service. Columbia Journalism School. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  6. ^ Grate, Rachel (4 June 2012). "If I Were to Meet You Again". Passwords. Journals at Claremont at Scholarship @ Claremont. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:JonathanGodwin/Awkward_turtle&oldid=820649606"