Talk to the hand??
Posted by Marcus on December 30, 2000
In Reply to: Talk to the hand?? posted by ESC on December 29, 2000
: : : : I would like to find out the derivation and meaning of "raise the palm", which I ran across in a 19th-century text. The context was that a certain behavior would cause a young woman to "raise the palm."
: : : : Thanks in advance for any information.
: : : : Jeanne Bornstein
: : : : raising her hand and confessing to adultry or some other indescretion? or perhaps quieting rowdy children?
: : It could also mean that she was preparing to slap somebody - perhaps for indiscreet suggestions?
: Does this have anything to do with an expression of maybe two years ago in the U.S. -- "talk to the hand"? I never did understand that. Example, a character on a TV sit-com is tired of her boss blathering. She raises her palm and says "talk to the hand." Roughly translated: shut up.
: ...I like it.