6 Mannerisms Unique To The Middle East

It is often said that you can tell where someone is from without even hearing them speak. Mannerisms are ways of expressing ourselves without necessarily using words. In the Middle East, there are a few distinctive mannerisms that you probably wouldn’t find elsewhere.

“Just like each other…” – Putting the two pointer fingers next to each other, this mannerism is used to compare two items, or people. Saying something like “The brothers are exactly like each other! Wallah zay ba’ed!”

“I’ll break your face, I swear!” – This is a common expression used to express anger, often accompanied by a shaking wrist. 

 “Are you crazy? Majnoon enta? Majnoon?” – Accompanied with a fiercely shaking hand, this mannerism is often used when someone is talking about doing something and the listener thinks it’s completely ridiculous.

 “Akkkkhhhh!” – The biting of the fist or hand is a common expression used to express frustration with someone or something, like traffic.

 “About this much…” – This expression is used as a term of measurement, or to demonstrate an amount.

Have you seen any of these mannerisms? Do you know of others that are commonly used? Tell us in the comments below!