Talk:Handwaving
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From the article:
- This page is dedicated to Stevie Smith author of the poem Not waving but Drowning.
This isn't a very useful contribution. Please don't do this. -- The Anome 22:48 11 Jul 2003 (UTC)
It is a very useful addition. Please don't remove it.Harry Potter 23:57 11 Jul 2003 (UTC)
You'll have to explain the relevance of the poem, please, otherwise it looks totally out of context. Evercat 23:58 11 Jul 2003 (UTC)
Question from a non-native english reader: What does handwaving mean in a literal sense? I mean, what movement of the hand/gesture is described by this term? I think this should be added to the article. Thank you. I've done it myself.
"used in math and physics"
actually, the term is used in pretty much every technical field, and in business.
[edit] Definition?
The first definition seems odd:
- "both hands up, palms forward, swinging the hands in a vertical plane pivoting at the elbows and/or shoulders (depending on the magnitude of the handwave)"
I tried doing this, and got no gesture that I have ever seen, more like some sort of dance move or something. What I got was a sort of winshield-wiper motion. Either the definition is wrong, or is poorly expressed. The second definition, listed as a mere alternative, is basically the only one I've seen: "alternatively, holding the forearms in one position while rotating the hands at the wrist to make them flutter." Herostratus 14:47, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
I don't agree that handwaving should be contrasted with abstract nonsense. Handwaving connotes a lack of precision. An argument can be concrete without being imprecise. 128.101.152.18 16:40, 22 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Etymology
Does this phrase come from Obi Wan Kenobi's famous "these aren't the droids you're looking for" or predate it?
- Predates it. My high school math teacher talked about "handwaving" and "handwavy proofs" (no doubt quoting his own, earlier college teachers) back around 1972. -Potosino 02:18, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
