gackt_army | You often see Gackt using this gesture in pictures (Reply)

Shaka

The "shaka" sign is a common greeting gesture often associated with Hawaii, California, and beach and surfer culture in general. It consists of extending the thumb and little finger while keeping the three middle fingers curled, and is often described colloquially as the "hang loose"or "chilax" gesture. It is similar to American Sign Language letter "Y", where a fist is also made with only the thumb and little finger extended. The sign is often followed by waving as a greeting or acknowledgment. It can be used when driving as a signal of thanks to other drivers (for example, someone who stopped to let another driver onto the road from a driveway).

The "shaka" sign is also the greeting gesture for members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. which is the "phi" sign. All African-American Greek fraternities and sororities have hand greeting gestures.

Similar gestures

In Britain and Northern Europe the symbol is used as a signal for owners of older model Volkswagen vans when passing on roads. The silhouette of the hand reveals a "W"-shaped outline along the top of the hand standing for Volkswagen.

In Spain and Italy, if the thumb points to the mouth, it means "drinking", since it is similar the shape of a porrón vessel. This is also true of the United States, Portugal and Brazil.

In some countries, if the thumb points to the mouth, it can also represent marijuana usage, in particular the use of a bong. This is usually accompanied by a sucking noise.

In China, it is also the sign for the number six.

A similar gesture is the "call me" sign, which also has the little finger and thumb outstretched, but then also holds it up to the ear, to signify a telephone. This is sometimes accompanied by mouthing the words "call me" or "I'll call you". This gesture is a common way to silently tell someone to call him or her, such as to continue a conversation in private.

It is also used by FC Barcelona player Ronaldinho as part of his goal celebration.

In India, rolling the shaka in a winding motion signifies that the listener does not believe what is being said and that the speaker needs to "spool in the yarn from spinning out too far".

In American Sign Language, a "rolling" version of this sign indicates the activity "play", often used by non-verbal people (e.g. pre-speech children) to ask if one wants to play or to indicate that the signer wishes to play.