page_title: Thumb signal
section_title: International usage
hierarchical_section_title: Thumb signal / International usage
caption_attribution_description: English: Australian boy with two thumbs up
context_page_description: A thumb signal, usually described as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, is a common hand gesture achieved by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward in approval or disapproval, respectively. These gestures have become metaphors in English: "The audience gave the movie the thumbs-up" means that the audience approved of the movie, regardless of whether the gesture was actually made.
context_section_description: The thumbs up signal has a generally positive connotation in English-speaking countries. However, its perceived meaning varies significantly from culture to culture.
  The sign is said to have a pejorative meaning in countries including Iraq and Iran.
  In Germany, France, and Hungary, the gesture can simply indicate the number one, in the right context.
  The thumbs up gesture is used on the logo of Thums Up, a popular brand of cola from India. Starting in 2007, the thumbs-up also appeared on India's one-rupee coin.
  In the United States, American Sign Language users use a single thumb up tilted slightly and rapidly left and right to indicate the number ten (10). When held stationary and thrust toward another person the meaning is "yourself". When lifted up by the other palm, the meaning is "help". The handshape is employed in the production of numerous signs in American Sign Language beyond those mentioned here. 
  On the Internet, and most particularly on the social media site Facebook, the thumbs up gesture is shown as an icon and is associated with the term "like"—which within that context means to follow or subscribe to the page, posts, or profile of another individual or company; and on YouTube, individual videos may be voted on positively or negatively by clicking the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons respectively (which in some previous versions of the site, used to be accompanied by "Like" and "Dislike" labels, and are still referred as such nowadays), and in the case of a thumbs-up, the video gets added to the user's "Liked videos" playlist. See Like button.
caption: An Australian boy with two thumbs up
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