hand with fingers splayed
Unicode: 1F590
Description
A hand with its fingers spread apart, thumb and pinky extended, while the middle two fingers are curled down. Often depicted in yellow.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-open
Status:
unqualified
Emotion:
Represents the 'shaka' or 'hang loose' gesture. It conveys a laid-back attitude, friendship, good vibes, solidarity, and surfing culture.
Backstory
The shaka sign originated in Hawaii, commonly attributed to Hamana Kalili of Laie, who lost his middle fingers in a sugar mill accident in the early 1900s. He would wave his hand with the thumb and pinky extended, which became a local greeting. Surfers later adopted it to signify 'hang loose' or 'all is good', and it gained global recognition through surf culture. It was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010.
Usage Examples
- Expressing a relaxed or casual mood: 'Weekend vibes 🤙'
- Greeting friends, especially in a surfing context: '🤙 brah!'
- Encouraging a chill attitude: 'Just gotta slow down and 🤙'
- Showing solidarity or agreement: 'Yeah, I'm down for that 🤙'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely recognized as 'hang loose' or 'shaka' sign, particularly associated with surfing, Hawaii, and a relaxed lifestyle. Can also mean 'call me' if the thumb is pointed towards the ear.
East Asian culture:
In some contexts, might be used as a 'call me' sign, or simply as a friendly gesture, without the specific 'hang loose' connotation.