Talk to the hand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Talk to the hand (or tell it to the hand) is an English language slang phrase associated with the 1990s. It originated in African American Vernacular English as a contemptuous and urbanized way of saying that no one is listening, and is often elongated to a phrase such as "Talk to the hand, because the ear's not listening" or "Talk to the hand, (be)cause the face don't understand". "Talk to the hand" is often considered to be a sarcastic, or obnoxious phrase, and is commonly associated with urban black youths, especially black women, as well as teenage valley girls who adopted it, and guests on daytime talk shows such as Jenny Jones, Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake during confrontational segments. The phrase was originated by actor and comedian Martin Lawrence, and along with such phrases as "You Go, Girl", "Getta Steppin'", and "Waassupp", was popularized in Martin Lawrence's 1992 sitcom Martin. "Talk to the hand" was later mimicked by actress Fran Drescher in 1997's The Beautician and the Beast.
[edit] Performance
"Talk to the hand" has its own associated gestures. It is normally performed by placing one hand on the hip, rolling the eyes, and flipping the head back with the nose pointed upward. The other hand is placed in or near (by a spiralling motion) the face of the recipient to signify the refusal to listen.
[edit] Use in Popular Culture
- "Talk to the hand, 'cos the face don't wanna hear it no more" was spoken by Dr. Evil in 1999's Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger uttered the line in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
- In a 1999 episode of The Simpsons, Homer is seen watching an episode of the show "Talk to the Hand".
- Chris Tucker said it to Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element
- There is a similar phrase in Israel in which the speaker has his or her palm facing the offending person and says a phrase that translates to "A wall." This is symbolic of a "wall" separating the two people, and thus the speaker cannot hear what the other person is saying.
- Nina Campbell (Simbi Khali) told Harry (French Stewart) to say this when when Dick (John Lithgow) was hard on him in the episode "Will Work for Dick" of 3rd Rock from the Sun.
- Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door is a semi-comic examination of modern manners (or lack thereof) by Lynne Truss.
- A song is devoted to the phrase in Jerry Springer - The Opera. There is also a segment in which Jesus and the Devil are arguing and Jesus sings 'Talk to the stigmata.'
