The slow reverse crocodile hand

[VivienneDelacroix]

I will admit, I am a scroller and watch a fair bit of Instagram - mainly fashion and styling stuff. But I've noticed recently that in most of the videos I see (whether they are "influencers" or some tragic mum huns trying to be like them) there is a repeated gesture. They ALL seem to do it, and I've seen it creep into real life too. I'll try to describe it...
Imagine doing a crocodile snapping gesture in front of you face, but quite slowly. Then in one smooth movement you draw the closed crocodile off to the side. It seems to be used to emphasis what they are saying. But it's really odd, it's like a collective mannerism.

Has anyone else noticed this? Does it irritate you too? Do you think they're cool? Do they think they're cool? Or is it just me overly noticing something?

It's such a stupid and pointless gesture. What does it even mean?

I see it all the time scrolling, alongside that bloody patronizing finger waggle one when demonstrating how to apply the most basic of make-up/shampoo your hair/fold a tshirt as if you are a total idiot for doing normal things normally your whole life.

Folds tshirt in a perfectly normal way. Head shake, weird smirk and finger waggling in front of the camera.

Folds tshirt in probably the most time consuming, stupid and impractical way with the aid of a carboard box, sticky tape, a coathanger and a piece of string, complete with a shit eating grin and a thumps up.

Fuck ooofffff.

Oh right. I'd just been calling this 'air pinching'. They all tend to talk the same way too. It's really strange.

Doesn't Trump do something similar ... says it all frankly.

I've been noticing this for AGES, it's particularly annoying when they then do a sort of head wobble for emphasis as well. Also when they have really long nails that click together <shudder>

I think I have the opposite of ASMR lol.

Ohhh that is super interesting! I wonder how it has become so ubiquitous.

Thank you everyone, I'm so glad it's not just me being weird. It's so bloody annoying.

Like this🤌🤌

These things are infectious though. Much like using "super" which I find infuriating when not followed by 'duper'!

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/fashion/super-tuesday-super-saturday.html

My sister and I have almost identical hand gestures when we talk, it's been commented on numerous times over many years. We do the crocodile/duck hand thing but with both hands and we put the 'beaks' nose to nose to emphasise something. Like I say, we've been doing it for years.

Ha ha - I knew as soon as I typed "super" that that would be someone's response!

I know language evolves like this, but I've never really seen it extend to hand gestures. The nearest thing I can think of is the Tony Blair arms gesturing which spread to many politicians, but they were purposefully coached in this, as it apparently gave them gravitas!

Alexa on Schitts Creek did it-

I def found myself doing it accidentally once-I can see the social contagion spreading

I always think it's more akin to a lobster/crab claw pincer movement. It's a ridiculous affectation amongst influencers. There's one in particular that gets the claw in every Instagram story she does

This is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time and soooo true.