Official U.S. Milan Consulate video...

[Hilary]

Very informative Alfredo - "I'm so bored I'm looking for a vein in which to inject heroin" - you can't make this stuff up . . .

[alfstone]

Very informative Alfredo - "I'm so bored I'm looking for a vein in which to inject heroin" - you can't make this stuff up . . .

This one last is not part of the tradition, it's part of a sketch by the Italian comedians Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo: when something (a conference, a movie, a book, a music and so on) becomes really unbearable, they make this "vein" gesture...or a harakiri gesture, to give you an idea...

Alfredo

[Hilary]

My son, who's nearly 11, made the very rude Italian gesture yesterday - he's been getting away with it as it's kind of a peace out gesture here or at least I thought it was  . I asked him if he knew it was rude in Italian and he said yes. I said, how do you know it's rude to which he replied - Aidan (his friend) is Spanish!

[Hilary]

This one last is not part of the tradition . . .

so the constricting anus one (are you scared?) is traditional then 

[alfstone]

This one last is not part of the tradition . . .

so the constricting anus one (are you scared?) is traditional then 

Yes, absolutely!   

[alfstone]

My son, who's nearly 11, made the very rude Italian gesture yesterday - he's been getting away with it as it's kind of a peace out gesture here or at least I thought it was  . I asked him if he knew it was rude in Italian and he said yes. I said, how do you know it's rude to which he replied - Aidan (his friend) is Spanish!

if you mean the "cuckold" gesture, yes, it's one of the worst things you may do here, and after that, quite often you may arrive at a violent fight. But this only after that someone has made something really bad to you (typical: car accidents...)
Different (and peaceful) is its meaning in concerts and so on.

And there is also a third meaning, but with fingers downward: in this case it means "let's hope it doesn't happen!"

So it depends from the circumstances.

No wonder about your son and his Spanish friend, the Spanish corrispective is the word "cabron!", I think...

[Hilary]

A great vein of untapped comedy for me Alfredo - I've got 2 jokes out of it - not the rude ones obviously, well not the really rude ones anyway 

I'm trying them out this week, we'll see if they fly (= if anyone else other than me thinks they're funny) . . .

[alfstone]

A great vein of untapped comedy for me Alfredo - I've got 2 jokes out of it - not the rude ones obviously, well not the really rude ones anyway 

I'm trying them out this week, we'll see if they fly (= if anyone else other than me thinks they're funny) . . .

Glad for the inspiration... 

Alfredo