‘This Wine Is Fine'

In 1950 Dr. Mario Pei of Columbia University wrote The Story of Language, a book that explains how how different cultures use different gestures to signal the same idea. A gesture that’s completely harmless in one context might be deeply offensive in another.

“There are some 700,000 gestures tucked away in different parts of the world,” LIFE wrote. For example, a gesture that means “So long!” in some Latin countries (palm up, fingers moving back and forth) is very similar to the American gesture for “Come here.” A tugging of an eyelid by a Brazilian signals the warning, “He’s a wise guy,” but the same gesture by a Colombian can mean, in effect, “That’s wonderful!”

"'This wine is fine,' these five agree. The Sicilian standing at left pinches his cheek
to show his pleasure; the American girl in center makes a sign of satisfaction
with familiar gesture. Brazilian at right pinches the lobe of his ear,
the seated French girl kisses her fingers, and the Colombian at lower right
 happily pulls eyelid."

More: LIFE.com
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