emo salute

The name of the gesture wherein a person lays the wrist horizontally along the forehead, palm forward with fingers stretched, while simultaneously tipping the head back and making a woeful, closed-eyed face. Its meaning is roughly equivelant to the phrase 'le sigh' and may be used as an exclamatory phrase in this way or shouted as an accompaniment to the gesture (a la jazz hands). While the name is relatively modern, the gesture itself has been around for centuries, most often associated with poets, southern belles, and being poncy. In modern times, it is most often used facetiously in the context of someone acting melodramatic, self-deprecatory, passive-aggressive, and/or victimized. E.g., emo.