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Greek · Hands & Trouble · hand gesture

η χειρονομία του μαλάκα

i cheironomía tou maláka

You wanker / you idiot — the gestural version of malakas.

3/5 Watch your audience

genuinely rude; friends only, never at work

The gesture

"Loose fist, forearm shaken up and down at the wrist toward someone — the 'wanking' motion."

What your hand is actually doing.

How to use it

The visual malákas: a loosely closed hand shaken up and down from the wrist toward the target, miming exactly what the word means. Often paired with mouthing "μαλάκα" or done silently across a distance too far to shout — through a windshield, across a stadium. Watch-your-audience 3, tracking the word: mock-affectionate among friends who catch each other's eye, genuinely insulting aimed at a stranger. Less nuclear than the moutza but unmistakable. Drivers are fluent in it.

Heard in the wild

Του έκανε τη χειρονομία του μαλάκα από το άλλο αμάξι.

He gave him the 'wanker' hand from the other car.

Where it lands

Greece & Cyprus (universal)

Quick answers

What does "η χειρονομία του μαλάκα" mean?
In Greek, "η χειρονομία του μαλάκα" means "You wanker / you idiot — the gestural version of malakas.". Literally it's "Loose fist, forearm shaken up and down at the wrist toward someone — the 'wanking' motion.". The visual malákas: a loosely closed hand shaken up and down from the wrist toward the target, miming exactly what the word means. Often paired with mouthing "μαλάκα" or done silently across a distance too far to shout — through a windshield, across a stadium. Watch-your-audience 3, tracking the word: mock-affectionate among friends who catch each other's eye, genuinely insulting aimed at a stranger. Less nuclear than the moutza but unmistakable. Drivers are fluent in it.
Is "η χειρονομία του μαλάκα" offensive?
It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
How do you pronounce "η χειρονομία του μαλάκα"?
This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Loose fist, forearm shaken up and down at the wrist toward someone — the 'wanking' motion..

Related in Greek

η μούντζα (φάσκελο) i moúntza (fáskelo) gesture Screw you / here's five of everything for you — the definitive Greek insult gesture. η διπλή μούντζα i diplí moúntza gesture The double moutza — twice the insult, maximum contempt. το «όχι» με το κεφάλι to «óchi» me to kefáli gesture No. — the head-toss that foreigners fatally misread as 'yes.' μαλάκας malákas mah-LAH-kahss Asshole / idiot — OR — dude / mate. The single most important word in Greek. ρε re reh Hey / man / you — a familiarity marker that softens or sharpens whatever follows. σιγά sigá see-GHAH Big deal / whatever / calm down / as if — dismissive minimizing.

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "You idiot".

how to say "You idiot" →

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