If you’re ever texting someone in another country, be careful which emojis you use. Here are four that are fine here, but OFFENSIVE in other cultures . . .
1. The Devil Horns emoji . . . a.k.a. “Metal Horns.” It’s the hand with just the index finger and pinky finger sticking up. In the U.S., it’s like saying “rock on.” But in several countries, it’s an insult that means “your spouse cheated on you.”
Don’t use it if you’re texting someone in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, or Uruguay.
2. The Waving Hand emoji. In China, people use it to say goodbye FOREVER. It’s kind of like saying EFF OFF, because you’re done being friends with them.
3. The Thumbs Up emoji. In Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, it doesn’t mean something’s good . . . it means “SIT ON IT.”
4. The Peace Sign emoji. Meaning the hand that’s giving a peace sign, not the purple box with a peace symbol in it.
In the U.K., flashing a peace sign is like giving someone the finger. Technically, you’d have to do it backwards, so the back of your hand is facing them. But they might think it’s an insult either way.
(Mashable)
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