rightwards hand: dark skin tone
Unicode: 1FAF1 1F3FF
Description
A rightwards hand, with the palm facing downwards, making the sign of 'don't touch'
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-open
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Represents a gesture to stop, halt, or indicate a refusal to touch. Can convey 'don't cross this line', 'stop right there', or 'hands off'.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 15.0 (2022) as part of the 'Stop' gesture family like 'Hand with Palm Up'. It aims to provide a clear non-verbal signal for 'don't touch' or 'keep distance', similar to a 'no trespassing' sign, specifically with the palm facing down.
Usage Examples
- To tell someone not to touch something: 'No, don't touch that! 🫱🏿'
- To indicate boundaries or personal space: 'Please maintain distance 🫱🏿'
- As a visual aid for 'hands off': '🫱🏿 This is mine.'
- In playful contexts to express a refusal to share: 'My fries! 🫱🏿'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Less commonly recognized as a specific emoji gesture, but the hand motion itself might be understood as a 'stop' or 'don't touch' signal.
East Asian culture:
In some contexts may relate to gestures of refusal or distance, though its primary meaning is not universally ingrained yet.