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A mountza or moutza (Greek: μούντζα or μούτζα [ˈmud͡za]) also called faskeloma (Greek: φασκέλωμα [faˈskeloma]) is the most traditional gesture of insult among Greeks. It consists of extending and spreading all fingers of the hand and presenting the palm towards the face of the person to be insulted with a forward motion.
It is often coupled with να (na, "here"), ορίστε (oríste, "there you are"), or πάρτα (par'ta, "take these") and swear words. The closer the gesture is to the other person's face the more intense it is considered.
An even more offensive version is achieved by using both hands to double the gesture, smacking the palm of one hand against the back of the other in the direction of the intended recipient.[1]
When Greeks hand-signal the number 5 to someone they take care not to overextend the fingers or face their palm towards the person, lest it be mistaken for a mountza.
- ^ This can be seen at 0:26 in an advertisement for Aegean Airlines.