sign of the horns: medium-dark skin tone
Unicode: 1F918 1F3FE
Description
A hand gesture with the index finger and little finger extended, forming a 'rock on' or 'horns' sign, with a dark skin tone.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-partial
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Often represents excitement, approval, enthusiasm, or a connection to rock music and culture. Also used to express 'rock on,' 'devil horns,' or 'I love you' in American Sign Language (ASL).
Backstory
The 'sign of the horns' gesture has ancient origins, sometimes used to ward off evil or as a symbol of protection. In popular culture, it gained prominence through rock and metal music, notably popularized by Ronnie James Dio. This specific emoji combination (1F918 for the gesture and 1F3FE for the dark skin tone modifier) was introduced with later Unicode versions to allow for diverse skin tone representations.
Usage Examples
- At a concert: 'This band is incredible! 🤘🏾'
- Expressing enthusiasm: 'That's awesome! 🤘🏾'
- Showing support for rock music: 'Long live rock and roll! 🤘🏾'
- As a general sign of approval: 'You nailed it! 🤘🏾'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used to express approval for rock music, heavy metal, or general excitement. Can also be interpreted as 'rock on' or a party gesture.
Mediterranean and Latin American culture:
In some cultures (e.g., Italy, Spain, Brazil), pointing this gesture downwards can be an insult ('corna' or 'cornuto'), implying one's spouse is unfaithful. However, pointing it upwards generally avoids this negative connotation.
American Sign Language (ASL):
With the thumb extended, it means 'I love you.' Without the thumb (as in this emoji), it can be used for 'rock on' or in specific ASL phrases.