pinched fingers: light skin tone
Unicode: 1F90C 1F3FB
Description
A light skin tone hand gesture formed by placing the index finger and thumb together to create a small hole, while the remaining three fingers are extended upwards.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-partial
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents perfection, approval, 'okay,' or 'good job.' In some contexts, it can also signify money or value.
Backstory
The 'OK' hand gesture has ancient roots and is found across various cultures. Its modern meaning as 'okay' is thought to have originated in the United States in the 19th century, possibly linked to the O.K. phrase itself. The emoji was standardized as part of Unicode 8.0 in 2015, and the skin tone variations were added in Unicode 9.0 in 2016.
Usage Examples
- Confirming understanding: 'Got it, everything is alright. 👌🏼'
- Expressing satisfaction: 'That was a perfect shot! 👌🏼'
- Acknowledging approval: 'Your proposal looks good. 👌🏼'
- In diving (context specific): 'I'm okay underwater. 👌🏼'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely understood as 'okay,' 'good,' 'perfect,' or 'A-OK.' In some professional diving contexts, it means 'I am okay' or 'Are you okay?'
East Asian culture:
Similar 'okay' or approval meaning. In Japan, it can sometimes symbolize money or coins due to the circular shape. In China, it indicates 'good' but is less common than the thumbs up.
Middle East and parts of Africa:
In some countries, particularly in the Middle East, West Africa, and South America (e.g., Brazil), this gesture can be considered highly offensive or an insult, comparable to showing the middle finger.
France and Belgium:
Can mean 'zero' or 'worthless.'