Meaning
What does Talk to the Hand mean?
Talk to the hand is a popular slang colloquialism, used to signify that the listener is not interested in hearing what someone wants to say.
It is sometimes said as “talk to the hand, because the head don’t listen” and it is a rude way of silencing someone.
It can also be gestured silently, with the listener just raising and extending their arm, pushing their palm in the face of the speaker.
Origin
What's the origin of Talk to the Hand?
“Talk to the hand” was popularized by the popular sitcom of Martin Lawrence titled Martin in 1992.
The expression would appear in several newspapers and magazines across the United States, with documented cases emerging in Illinois as well Wyoming.
Spread & Usage
How did Talk to the Hand spread?
“Talk to the hand was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2003.
It would be featured in various contexts over the years, appearing in movies like Ali G Indahouse and Terminator 3, as well as the book of Lynn Truss, titled Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today.
The phrase was also embraced by several musicians like the Honeyz, Alexander Walmann as well as the French rap group Fatal Bazooka.
External resources
- Free Dictionary – Talk to the hand
- Literary Devices – Meanings of “Talk to the Hand”
- Wikipedia – Talk to the hand