The Hidden Meaning of The Measurer Gesture or Parallel Palms

The Hidden Meaning of The Measurer Gesture or Parallel Palms

Cue: Measurer Gesture (The).

Synonym(s): Measurement Gestures, Parallel Palms.

Description: The hands are moved parallel to one another and juggled up and down as if measuring an object.

In One Sentence: The measurement gesture is a way that people illustrate the size of an object.

How To Use it: Use this gesture, coupled with other gesticulations to help show others what you really mean. Using the hands in conjunction with speech helps boost your ability to convey information and makes you appear more confident and in control. Appropriate gestures work well in business and between friends.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m using my palms to show you the size of something or how something looks or feels as a physical object or an idea. I’m trying to use my hands to convey meaning to you.”

Variant: See Palm Up Displays or The Rogatory Posture, Palm Down Displays or Palm Power.

Cue In Action: His hands were oriented sideways to one another as he tried to demonstrate his idea of how a rotor would work in the prototype.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The palms hold special body language meaning. They are a powerful and authoritative body language cue. One only needs to look to Adolf Hitler’s use of the palm down hand display to see its prominent meaning.

In the measurer gesture the hands are palm sideways but still, the palms are on full display. Exposed palm down is a signal that a person wishes to project thoughts, opinions, or ideas onto others.

A secondary meaning stems from figuratively demonstrating how big an object or idea is, how it works or general use of gesticulation to colour language. For example, a person might say the “fish was this big” and couple this with their hands gapped apart a fair distance. He might add that the fish “swam really fast” and move or wiggle his hand back and forth to show just how fast.

Cue Cluster: N/A

Body Language Category: Illustrators, Palm power.

Resources:

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