signals Archives - The Spectator World

Topics

View All

Writers

View All

Books + Arts

View All

Life

View All

Magazine

View All

Radio

View All

Our June issue is out now!

Read the issue Subscribe

My Account | Log Out

Topics

Business

China

Europe

Internet

Middle East

Politics

Russia

Science & Tech
Writers

‘Firm, but unfair’

Our writers hold no party line; their only allegiance is to clarity of thought, elegance of expression and independence of opinion.

View all writers

Amber Athey

Bridget Phetasy

Daniel McCarthy

Dominic Green

Freddy Gray

Jacob Heilbrunn

Matt McDonald

Roger Kimball
Books + Arts
Life
Magazine

July

Read now

June

May

April

view all
Radio

Spectator Radio

Podcasts from Spectator writers

view all

Americano

Book Club

Holy Smoke

The Green Room

My Account

Want to get unlimited access to The Spectator?

Get the newsletter

1 Articles

signals

gestures

The minefield of mime: ‘halt’ to an American signifies ‘hi’ to an Arab

By David Crystal

The
shop

The magazine

Podcasts

Stay informed

Thought-provoking commentary and opinion on politics, books and the arts.

Subscribe today

Web-only content Copyright © 2021 The Spectator // Magazine content Copyright © 2021 The Spectator