A mountza or moutza also called faskeloma is the most traditional gesture of insult among Greeks. It consists of extending and spreading all fingers of the hand and presenting the palm towards the face of the person to be insulted with a forward motion. It is often coupled with να, όρσε, or παρ'τα and swear words. The closer the gesture is to the other person's face the more threatening it is considered. An even more offensive version is achieved by using both hands to double the gesture, smacking the palm of one hand against the back of the other in the direction of the intended recipient. When Greeks hand-signal the number 5 to someone they take care not to overextend the fingers or face their palm towards the person, lest it be mistaken for a mountza.
Origin
The origin of the gesture can be traced back to the ancient years, when it was used as a curse. It is said that even during the Eleusinian Mysteries it complemented verbal curses against evil forces. It was then called φασκέλωμα which survives today, along with its variant φάσκελo , still survive as synonyms of mountza. In later years, the name changed to mountza. In the penal code of the Byzantine Empire one punishment entailed criminals paraded around town sitting backwards on a donkey with their face smeared with cinder to enhance their ridicule. Because cinder was wiped on the person's face first by collecting it in the palm and then by extending open the fingers, the gesture itself became insulting, to be known as mountza, after the name of the material applied. The modern Greek word mountzoura or moutzoura for a smudge, scribble or dark stain has the same origin.
The gesture of mountza does not have the same significance in other cultures around the world. In a few countries there are similar gestures. Their significances are:
In Armenia, abruptly thrusting the palm of the hand to someone means "Curse you", but can also mean "Can't stand you anymore" if performed by a close female relative or friend.
In Iraqi and Assyrian culture, abruptly pushing the palm of the hand towards someone means they are worthy of shame and are dishonorable.
In Sindh, the showing of the palm to someone in a thrusting manner is also considered an insult. This gesture is called bunda.
In the Persian Gulf, showing the palms of both hands to someone after clapping them is also considered an insult, together with saying Malat Alaik. It's usually done by women as it is considered not manly if men do it.
Since the 1990s in North America, a similar gesture is used in "Talk to the hand". By showing the palm of the hand, with fingers spread, and saying "Talk to the hand... because the face ain't listenin is the equivalent of "You're wasting your breath" or "Shut up". Even before then, a common expression of displeasure was to "throw" one's hand.
In Mexico, it can be used to say hi ; but when steady or moving it repeatedly towards the receiver means "You'll see!", warning that the giver will tell an authority figure about any prank or other mischievous action the receiver has done. It is commonly used with children to scare them into behaving.
In Nigeria, this can be viewed as offensive in particular tribes and is usually accompanied with the use of the expletive waka, meaning "your father".
In Panama, in addition to meaning the same as in Mexico, it is also used to threaten the receiver at a later and more appropriate/convenient time. This is because aside from implying/saying the wordsVas a ver! to the receiver, the wordEspérate meaning wait, is also used often since the gesture also has the general meaning of wait/hold on as in many other parts of the world.
