the peace sign

[ttwjr32]

ok here is one for all of you.

 i was walking in the mall and this chinese lady was walking towards me
 and she smiled and gave me the peace sign. now she was probably about 20 to 25 and after this happened my wife who was looking at something saw what she did and i had to explain i did not know this young lady!!!! after that discussion i dare not ask her what it meant
because i felt it was better to leave the dead horse down. i know they do that in pictures but does anyone know what that was about???
just curious because ive never had that happen before and really dont want it to happen again with my wife as she almost made me feel i knew her   hahahahahaha

[Paul Todd]

Ted,
I asked my wife in her words "V in Chinese is meaning victory, but now someone like you very happy,fun,or enjoy to take the picture. It just a sign for girl to act cutty, not special meaning". Were just showing our age by thinking it's the peace sign!
 I was shoe shopping with Ming Zhi the other week,something I don't mind because there are always lots of comfortable chairs to sit in while she tries on every shoe in the place!  When she overheard two Chinese ladies discussing me. She said nothing at the time but when we got home she fell about laughing saying that one of the ladies said she liked me "very very much" I think that's polite speech for something else. I do notice a difference between being out and about on my own and when I'm with my wife. When I'm with Ming Zhi I get the odd smile but when I'm on my own I get lots of hello's! I don't talk about it,safer that way!

[ttwjr32]

well i think my wife thought she was flirting with me or i knew her as she walked by

[brett]

When I was with Miss Wu I wasn't allowed to stand outside the bookstore just in case beautiful ladies walked past :icon_cheesygrin:.

[Willy The Londoner]

When I was with Miss Wu I wasn't allowed to stand outside the bookstore just in case beautiful ladies walked past :icon_cheesygrin:.

Simple Brett - You go inside and look out of the window at what is going past!   She may get suspicious if you pretend to read a book - that is unless you can find a picture book.

Willy

well i think my wife thought she was flirting with me or i knew her as she walked by

Maybe it was the 'message girl' from Zhongshan!!!!   Or maybe it was not meant for you at all,  but for Sisi - denoting her Victory in getting herself 'a wealthy foreigner'  But in the UK we stick up two fingers to say F--- Off so maybe she was telling you something and the smile was just to make sure you did not miss it!!!!!

Willy

[ttwjr32]

no she had a pappa johns pizza shirt on
 willy after you had Sisi tell them off in zhongshan
 those women will never talk to us again  hahahaha

[brett]

> Simple Brett - You go inside and look out of the window at what is going past!

Ha! I think my lady was wise to that as she dumped me in the IT books section where there were no ladies. In fact I think that looking at other ladies was a big mistake on my trip, I'll have to be much more careful in future lol. But it was so difficult when there were supermodel waitresses, supermodel street vendors, supermodel lottery vendors, etc. etc. etc.. Well my lady did tell me before I went out there that the Sichuan ladies were the best in China, but it turned out to be the truth :icon_cheesygrin:.

[ttwjr32]

there are some pretty good ones in guangzhou walking around everywere
 even some from zhongshan keeping away from Willy   hahahaha

[Johnboy]

Hi Ted,

It depends on how the V sign is made or given.  If someone flicks you a V sign with their palm facing outwards towards you, it is generally accepted, worldwide, as meaning a sign of peace that indicates solidarity or approval.  It actually originates (as we know it) from the peace movement and the 'flower power' (hippie) era of the 1960's:  "Love, Peace and Freedom" - and of course was stronly associated with Vietnam War protestors.  

However, if the V sign is given with the palm facing backwards towards the person giving it, particularly with an upwards thrust or motion, it is a gesture of contempt or implies a rude insult ie "Get stuffed!".

Winston Churchill the British Prime Minister used the V sign ( palm facing backwards and forward!)as a symbol of victory and defiance during the second world war.  And it was later popularised by the Beatles pop group as a sign of love and peace in the late 60's early 70's; hence their songs: "All you need is love" and "All we are saying, is give peace a chance".

You won't see many people over the age of 25 years flashing or flicking the peace V sing in the UK, but it is widely used by young people in Japan.  It is also used by many of the younger Chinese girls in their Chnlove profiles!

As a sign of peace or solidarity it is almost always accompanied with a smile - and, as that it what the young lady gave you, I think you may safely accept that is what her V sign was saying to you!

Hope this is of some help?  By the way, the next time your wife is upset or angry with you, just flick her the V sign, making sure the palm is facing outwards of course!!!  

V = Peace brother!

Johnboy

[Vince G]

Before it was the peace sign it was the Victory sign (WWII). I did think it was a peace sign being used today? cause what victory are they signing? Victory of what? Peace sign makes more sense. Well for me anyway. :icon_cool:

[Buzz]

Before it was the peace sign it was the Victory sign (WWII). I did think it was a peace sign being used today? cause what victory are they signing? Victory of what? Peace sign makes more sense. Well for me anyway. :icon_cool:

Vince, I asked when I was there.  As you remember I hung out with an older crowd and asked them why they used the V sign.  They said is was a victory sign from the time they "kicked out the japanese".  So I took them at their word.  They just get a kick out of it, and I had to ask them for at least one picture not to do the V sign.  

buzz

[Danny]

"V in Chinese is meaning . . .  very happy,fun,or enjoy to take the picture. It just a sign for girl to act cutty, not special meaning".

Yes, that's what it means. It's got nothing to do with peace or anything like that. When my daughter's friends take photos of each other here in Australia, they are always doing sideways Vs, and up and down Vs. It's just messing about, it doesn't mean a thing.

[zook144]

"V in Chinese is meaning . . .  very happy,fun,or enjoy to take the picture. It just a sign for girl to act cutty, not special meaning".

Yes, that's what it means. It's got nothing to do with peace or anything like that. When my daughter's friends take photos of each other here in Australia, they are always doing sideways Vs, and up and down Vs. It's just messing about, it doesn't mean a thing.

I have to agree with Danny and Todd on this. When i was in Shenyang last April, the translator and the lady I went to see were always doing the V sign when I took their pictures. I asked what it meant and they just said "It's ok or everything is ok"! So I'll go with its just a cutty thing they do. Thought I'd add a pick of the translator just for the heck of it. Brighten up this thread a bit.:icon_biggrin:
Don

[Paul Todd]

I was told that this started out in Japan and was taken over by youth culture in China. One account of the V sign's use in portrait photographs claims that during the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Hokkaid? figure skater Janet Lynn stumbled into Japanese pop culture when she fell during a free-skate period—but continued to smile even as she sat on the ice. Though she placed only third in the actual competition, her cheerful diligence and indefatigability resonated with many Japanese viewers, making her an overnight celebrity in Japan. Afterwards, Lynn was repeatedly seen flashing the V sign in the Japanese media. Though the V sign was known of in Japan prior to Lynn's use of it there (from the post-WWII Allied occupation of Japan), she is credited by some Japanese for having popularized its use in amateur photographs. According to another theory, the V sign was popularized by the actor and singer Jun Inoue, who showed it in a Konica photo camera commercial in 1972. Japanese may also be associating with their onomatopeia (gitaigo) for smiling. The number "two" is "ni" in Japanese, and the onomatopeia for smiling generally begins with the sound "ni-", such as "niko niko" or "niya niya.

[RegnisTheGreat]

I think it means "Victory. Another successful gui lao snatched by the greater China empire". :dodgy: