finger-wag

English

Alternative forms

• finger wag
• fingerwag

Etymology

finger +‎ wag.

Verb

finger-wag (third-person singular simple present finger-wags, present participle finger-wagging, simple past and past participle finger-wagged)

1. To move the index finger horizontally back and forth, as to say no or reject something.
2. To move the index finger repeatedly up and down, as to threaten or reprimand someone.
   • 2018, Nicole Seymour, Bad Environmentalism, page 246:

     For these and other reasons, I disagree with reecent critiques of the film, such as Matt Novak's finger-wagging thinkpiece, "Idiocracy Is a Cruel Movie and You Should Be Ashamed for Liking It." (2014)

Translations

to move the index finger horizontally, as to say no or reject something

• Afrikaans: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Bashkir: бармаҡ янау (barmaq yanaw)
• Dutch: vingerschudden
• Finnish: heristää etusormea
• French: faire non du doigt
• Galician: please add this translation if you can
• German: mit dem Finger drohen
• Greek: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: balançar o dedo
• Russian: грози́ть па́льцем impf (grozítʹ pálʹcem), погрози́ть па́льцем pf (pogrozítʹ pálʹcem)
• Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can
• Slovene: požugati s prstom
• Spanish: menear del dedo
• Swedish: please add this translation if you can
• Welsh: please add this translation if you can

to move the index finger vertically, as to threaten or reprimand someone

• Dutch: vingerschudden, met de vinger dreigen
• Finnish: osoittaa etusormella
• German: mit dem Finger drohen

Noun

finger-wag (plural finger-wags)

1. The movement of the index finger horizontally back and forth, as to say no or reject something.
2. The movement of the index finger repeatedly up and down, as to threaten or reprimand someone.