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Have you ever wondered why Yankees fans do the thumbs down gesture? There are a few theories out there, but we’ll try to set the record straight.
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Thumbs Down in Ancient Rome
The use of the thumbs down dates back to Ancient Rome. A Roman magistrate would sit on a raised platform during public events and games to better see the crowd. When he wanted to signal that someone should be killed, he would give the thumbs down sign.
Thumbs Down as a Sign of Disapproval
The ancient Romans had a lot of different hand gestures that they used to communicate different things. One of these gestures was the thumbs down, which was used to signal disapproval.
The origins of this gesture are unclear, but one theory is that it may have come from Roman gladiatorial contests. In these contests, the loser was typically executed by having his throat slit with a sword. The crowd would signal their approval or disapproval of the fight by holding up their thumbs. If they approved of the fight, they would hold up their thumbs pointing up. If they disapproved, they would hold up their thumbs pointing down, signaling that the losing fighter should be killed.
Over time, this gesture came to be used more generally as a way of indicating disapproval or dislike. Today, it is still used in this way in some parts of the world, particularly in the United States. In other parts of the world, the gesture has a variety of different meanings. For example, in Greece it can mean okay, or in Brazil it can be used as an insult.
Thumbs Down as a Sign of Death
The ancient Romans had a lot of gestures that we use today without thinking about them. One of these is the thumbs down gesture, which we use to mean that we don’t like something. But did you know that the ancient Romans used this gesture to mean something very different?
The thumbs down gesture was actually a sign of death in ancient Rome. In the arena, when a Gladiator was defeated, the crowd would signal to the Emperor whether he should live or die by holding up their thumbs. If they wanted him to live, they held up their thumbs; if they wanted him to die, they held them down.
So, next time you give someone the thumbs down, think about what you’re really saying!
Thumbs Down in the American South
Thumbs down is a gesture made with the hand and fingers curled and extended downward. It is used to express disapproval, hatred, or disapproval. The gesture is most commonly seen in the American South and is considered to be a regional thing.
Thumbs Down as a Sign of Disapproval
The origins of the thumbs down gesture are somewhat uncertain, but it is thought to have originated in ancient Rome. In that culture, a downward thumb represented Approval, while an upward thumb signified Disapproval. The gesture may have then been co-opted by early Christians, who used it as a way to discreetly express their disagreement with Roman paganism.
When the thumbs down gesture made its way to America, it took on a different meaning. In the American South, the gesture came to be associated with racism and white supremacy. It was often used by Ku Klux Klan members and other white supremacists as a way to intimidate African Americans and other minority groups.
In recent years, the thumbs down gesture has been reclaiming its original meaning in America. In 2017, for example, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell used the gesture to express his disapproval of the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”).
Thumbs Down as a Sign of Death
The use of the thumbs down gesture to indicate death is most commonly associated with the American South. It is unclear when or how this tradition started, but it is thought to be a holdover from the days of slavery. In slave-era America, thumbs down was used as a sign of disapproval or as a way to reject an offer. It is possible that this gesture was eventually co-opted by white slave owners as a way to threaten and intimidate their slaves.
The use of thumbs down to indicate death may also be connected to ancient Roman culture. In Roman times, the thumbs up gesture was used to indicate approval, while the thumbs down gesture indicated rejection. It is possible that this tradition was brought over to America by early European settlers.
Whatever its origins, the use of thumbs down to denote death is most commonly associated with the American South. In recent years, there has been a move to reclaim this gesture as a positive sign of solidarity and resistance in the face of racism and oppression.
Thumbs Down in New York
The tradition of thumbs down in New York Yankees dates back to the late 1970s. George Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ owner at the time, wanted his players to show more enthusiasm during games. He came up with the idea of having them give a thumbs down to the opposing team’s fans. The tradition has continued ever since, and it’s now seen as a way to show support for the home team.
Thumbs Down as a Sign of Disapproval
The gesture of thumbs down is widely understood to be a sign of disapproval. In ancient Rome, a crowd would use the thumbs down gesture to indicate that a gladiator should be spared or spared from death. The modern use of the thumbs down gesture likely originated in the United States in the late 1800s. There are a few theories about how this happened, but one popular story goes that it started with Union soldiers during the Civil War.
Some of these soldiers had been farmers before the war, and they would hold up their hands with the thumbs down to show that they disapproved of something. This caught on with other soldiers, and eventually the gesture became a widely recognized way to show disapproval. Another theory is that the gesture originated with vaudeville performers in the late 1800s. They would use the thumbs down gesture to indicate that a bad act should be booed off the stage.
Today, the thumbs down gesture is universally understood to mean dislike or disapproval. It is often used as a way to vote against something, or to express negative feelings about something. If you see someone doing something you don’t like, you can give them a thumbs down to let them know!
Thumbs Down as a Sign of Death
The thumb represents the head of a person in the act of beheading. This gesture was used as a warning to others in mob-like situations where >brutality took place. It showed that you were next and your time was running out. It is considered very unlucky in many cultures to point at someone using your index finger, especially if they are not looking. If you do, it is said that you are giving them the ‘evil eye’.
