thumbs up: light skin tone
Unicode: 1F44D 1F3FB
Description
A hand with its thumb extended upwards and index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger curled into the palm, with the back of the hand facing the viewer. The skin tone is light.
Group:
People & Body > hand-fingers-closed
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents approval, agreement, encouragement, or positive feedback. It is a universal gesture for 'good', 'okay', or 'yes'.
Backstory
The thumbs-up gesture has ancient roots, with its exact origin debated. It's often associated with Roman gladiators (though historical evidence suggests thumbs-down meant spare them, not kill them). In modern times, it became a common sign of approval, popularized in the 20th century. The Unicode emoji 'Thumbs Up Sign' (U+1F44D) was introduced in Unicode 6.0 in 2010. The 'Emoji Modifier Fitzpatrick Type-1-2' (U+1F3FB) was added later, in Unicode 8.0 (2015), to allow for skin tone variations.
Usage Examples
- Agreeing with someone: 'Sounds good! 👍🏻'
- Giving approval: 'Looks perfect to me! 👍🏻'
- Acknowledging a message: 'Got it, thanks! 👍🏻'
- Showing support: 'You can do it! 👍🏻'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Widely understood as a sign of approval, 'job well done', or 'liking' something.
Middle East and parts of West Africa:
Can be considered an insult or offensive, similar to showing a middle finger.
Australia:
Historically, it could be seen as an insult, though this is less common now, especially when used in digital communication where the Western meaning prevails.