Do certain hand gestures irritate you?

You may want to avoid certain hand gestures around Britons according to a new research conducted for software developer Ventutec, creator of the app Goggle Eyes.

The Telegraph reported the results of the 2,000-person survey on Friday, singling out air quotes as the most irritating gesture.

"The 'speech marks' gesture is often used to emphasize sarcasm, which is arguably a big part of the British sense of humour, but it's clearly an action that irritates more than it amuses," a Goggle Eyes spokesperson told the paper.

Other annoying gestures included:

• Rapidly opening and closing your hands to say "blah blah blah."
• Looking away, extending your arm and holding your palm straight up to mean "talk to the hand." ·
• Pretending to type on a keyboard to say, "email me." 

Some gestures were better received than others. Those surveyed were largely okay with pretending to drink from a glass at a restaurant to say, "may I order a drink?" and pressing your finger to your lips to say, "be quiet."

The study also found that, of the people surveyed:

• One in four tried to avoid using hand gestures
• One in five were embarrassed because they use them too much
• One in three said they were less likely to trust someone who uses too many hand gestures; while half of all those surveyed said it even makes them angry.
  

"We all use hand gestures to express ourselves from time to time and some have a stronger place in our daily communication than others," added Goggle Eyes's spokesperson.

"Some can be seen as patronizing or unnecessarily dramatic, which is probably why so many of us find them a little tedious."

Goggle Eyes also suggested that someone who uses too many gestures may seem less credible, or could risk annoying those he or she communicates with.

"It's about being able to recognize how to use gestures and for which audiences. Sometimes they're funny and entertaining but, often, they're just annoying."

This survey has us wondering which hand gestures would boil blood on this side of the pond.

Which of these common hand gestures annoy you, if any? Can you pinpoint why?

• "Stop": palm straight up
• "Calm down": palms down, with downward pushing motion
• Air quotes: pointer and middle fingers curled and wiggling
• Peace or victory sign: pointer and middle finger spread
• Thumbs up: hand in fist, except for erect thumb
• "Come here": palm up, wiggling pointer finger
• "A-ok": Thumb and pointer touching; middle, ring and pinky spread
• "Quiet": pointer finger on lips
• "Call me": pinky and thumb by side of face
• "Loser": pointer and thumb making "L" shape
• "Disgusting": pointing into open mouth
• "Crazy": pointer finger making circles by temple

Can you think of other, less common hand gestures (the "Dr. Evil", "live long and prosper", "whatever") that really grind your gears?

Are you the kind of person who speaks with your hands?